


Nuzlocke: Calamity Calls

by Mangaluva, the_fabulous_Keychan



Series: The Keyleeverse [4]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Apocalypse, Gen, and we liked some of the names better, because Key played the german version of the game, dual protagonists, lots and lots of dead Pokemon, really long fic, some characters have their german names
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-14
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-01-24 16:42:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 55
Words: 166,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1612133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mangaluva/pseuds/Mangaluva, https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_fabulous_Keychan/pseuds/the_fabulous_Keychan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three years after finding Red and settling Lugia and Ho-oh, Saylee has nightmares about gods again. With the help of Key, a new trainer, she'd like to find the avatars quickly and peacefully. Unfortunately, what she's still REALLY good at finding is trouble. (Sequel to Blood and Bond. Nuzlocke rules with dual protagonists.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third story in my Nuzlocke series, following on my FireRed and Soulsilver Nuzlockes. Reading them is fairly necessary for understanding some character and story points. Once again, the main character is Saylee, off to Hoenn during the events of Emerald, because her life just sucks like that. This fic is a little different from the other two, however. Throughout the previous two fics, I got ideas, inspiration and fanarts from my friend, the fabulous Key-chan. When I started an Emerald Nuzlocke, she started one too, and we played through together. So this fic is the story of two Nuzlockes, hers and mine. The first half of the fic is written entirely by me, but during the second half there are several scenes and chapters written entirely by Key-chan. This is because when Key and Saylee split up, I feel like Key-chan is better writing about what’s happening to Key and what she’s feeling than I am.
> 
> The other thing about this being a joint Nuzlocke is that Key-chan played the German language version of Emerald, so many of the character names were different in her version. While most character and place names are in English, some, for various reasons, have been given the German names instead. Sometimes it’s because we like the German names better than the English ones, sometimes it’s because the German name seems more appropriate for thematic reasons, and in one case it’s due to an injoke between ourselves that has mutated into a plot point. Any time character names are German instead of English, I’ll put a note in the A/N just to make sure you know who it is. (I think it’s fair enough to assume that, this fic being in English, most of the readers will have played the English-language version :P)
> 
> Okay, so if anyone still doesn’t know, the Nuzlocke challenge is aimed at hardcore Pokémon gamers who want a bit more challenge out of their game. There are three basic rules, with various alterations possible.
> 
> 1\. Catch only the first Pokémon you meet on each route or territory. If you kill the first Pokémon, too bad. Move on and catch nothing in that area ever again. (I’m making two alterations to this rule: one minor and one major. The minor one is the first new Pokémon on each team; I’m not interested in having, say, three Pidgey on a team. The major one is that if I see a shiny, all catching rules go out the window, but then if the shiny is captured in this irregular manner it is to be put in a special PC box and nothing else. If I do catch one, I probably won’t bring it up in the fic; I’ll just have the joy of owning it XD)  
> 2\. Nickname all Pokémon. (I do this alliteratively.) This rule famously serves no real gameplay purpose, other than making rule 3 hurt more…  
> 3\. If a Pokémon faints in battle, it is dead. Box or release it, but never use it again. (I box them. And it is painful.)  
> I don’t use the no-items rule. Also, when asked by a friend what happens if you run out of usable Pokémon entirely (IE your team is wiped out and you’ve no usable boxed Pokémon), I decided that it just means going back to the last save point, rather than starting the whole game over.
> 
> So that’s the challenge. It’s certainly turned out to be more emotional than a usual runthrough of the game, making you much more attached to your Pokémon- which, again, just makes it hurt more when they die. *cries* That’s probably what brings the Pokémon to life so much in your head. This is still Saylee’s story, but it’s also Key’s. And neither of them are very good at peaceful lives…

_Saylee…_

“Blue?” Saylee muttered, nudging her boyfriend in the ribs with her elbow but not opening her eyes. “What is it?”

“Wuzwat?” Blue grumbled.

“D’you say something?” Saylee asked, yawning.

“No… sleepin’,” Blue mumbled, wrapping his arm around her and planting his face in the pillow. Saylee pushed his arm aside and sat up. _Blue doesn’t talk in his sleep, but I_ know _I heard a voice…_

She finally opened her eyes and saw the eye watching her out of the darkness. “Jay?!” she gasped, recognizing the Unown.

“You must come, Saylee,” the enigmatic Pokémon whispered. “You must come _now_.” Jay vanished in a bright flash of light.

“What the hell was _that_?” Blue asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Saylee grabbed her glasses and switched on the bedside light, but Jay was nowhere to be seen.

“It was an Unown I captured at the Ruins of Alph in Johto,” she said, looking at the clock display on her bedside table. “Four AM… dammit, Jay.”

“Why’re you getting up?” Blue yawned as Saylee got up and started pulling on her jeans.

“I can’t go back to sleep now,” Saylee sighed. “They’ll just give me more nightmares if I do. This happened three years ago, a few months before Ethan and Silver ascended…”

“Oh, yeah,” Blue recalled, getting up and grabbing himself a shirt. “They showed you Lugia and Ho-oh to freak you out, right?”

“Yep,” Saylee said, going out into the hall and switching on the light so she could find her shoes. “They didn’t show me anything about Celebi when that happened, but Celebi isn’t one of the really titanic gods…”

“Hey, Saylee?” Blue called from the bedroom. “Those stones on your dreamcatcher are glowing.”

Saylee ran back in, staring at the dreamcatcher hanging over their bed. Dangling from one of the holes in the plate-sized red scale was a cloth bag. Inside, Saylee knew that there were two gemstones, one blue and one red. As Blue had said, they were glowing and rattling in their bag.

Saylee untied the bag from the dreamcatcher. “C’mon,” she said, taking Blue’s hand. “They’re not going to let me have a peaceful night’s sleep until I go see what they have to show me.”

“And that means I won’t either, doesn’t it?” Blue sighed, grabbing a pokéball. “Fine. After we ‘port to Violet, we can fly on Pete.”

{}

“This place used to be the Water Temple,” Saylee said, holding up the two stones. They glowed and rattled more violently they got closer to the temple across the lake at the south end of the Ruins of Alph. “In Lugia’s triad, it’s Articuno. In Ho-oh’s triad, it’s Suicune. In the dragon triad, it’s Palkia…”

“Got it, bookworm,” Blue chuckled, returning Pete as they walked towards the temple in the dark. “I remember when you used to skip over stories about god-Pokémon because you were only interested in learning about Pokémon you’d actually _meet_.”

“Still am,” Saylee sighed. Blue took her hand as they stepped into the gloomy temple and she squeezed it. “That’s why I visit here whenever I’m in Johto. It’s not hard to ask Professor Hawkshaw about Lugia and Ho-oh without letting on why I’m asking. I’m surprised she hasn’t literally exploded with enthusiasm for researching the gods by now. Anyway, the last two visions I had were three years ago and I went to them with Chaz, but he didn’t see them. According to him, I vanished abruptly and reappeared immediately. So if that happens…”

“Keep calm and carry on, got it,” Blue said with a nod. “Whoa!”

They both had to fling an arm over their eyes as blinding sunlight burst upon them. It faded a moment later, and they took their arms down just in time to be doused with rain.

They were standing on a mountainside overlooking the sea. The waves were raging violently as blinding sunlight and driving rain alternately struck them. “Where are they?” Saylee called.

“Where’s what?!” Blue yelped, covering himself as the rain struck down again.

“We’ll see them somewhere… there!” Saylee shouted, clutching the stones tightly and pointing down at the sea.

On a rocky outcrop stood a huge red Pokémon. They were far away from it, but it looked to Saylee as if it could crush the Silph building under one foot. It roared angrily as an equally titanic blue Pokémon leapt out of the waves. A huge tidal wave rose up in its wake, crashing down towards the red Pokémon, but the earth itself rose up and formed a shield. The red Pokémon roared again and the earth under Saylee and Blue’s feet shook.

“Okay, we’ve seen it, now how do we make it _stop_?!” Blue yelled, turning around. He paled sharply. Saylee turned to look, but Blue put his arm around her shoulder and held her still. “The volcano’s erupting!” He yelled.

Saylee froze, clinging tightly to Blue. Volcanic eruptions were one of the greatest fears of her life. “I know what they are,” she shouted, trying to ignore the roaring rumble of the mountain behind her. “The battle of earth and sea. They’re Groudon and Kyogre!”

At that moment, everything vanished and they floated in the blackness. The shining shapes of Unown began to appear.

T H E Y P O S S E S S G R E A T

I N S I G H T A N D R E F U S E

T H E O U T S I D E W O R L D

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Blue asked as the Unown vanished.

“If you figure it out, let me know,” Saylee said. “Ooft!”

They landed heavily on the stone floor. A rectangle of light was being cast from the doorway, meaning it was sunrise. Saylee held up the red and blue stones in the light. They’d stopped glowing and shaking. “Most Legendary Pokémon fall into the triad set represented here,” she said, looking at them. “Fire, Water and Lightning… I knew these stones were connected to fire and water, but…”

“Not which ones,” Blue said with a nod. “Well, now you know. Groudon and Kyogre…”

“Who’s there? Come out with your hands up!”

“What the hell?” Blue grumbled as they stood up, hands raised, and walked out of the door. Several police officers—two humans, a Growlithe and two Meowth—were waiting outside for them. “We’re not criminals. I’m a Gym Leader from Kanto. I run the Viridian City jurisdiction. My name’s Blue Oak.”

“This is a restricted area, sir,” one of the police officers, a young woman with red hair, said with a frown. Saylee reached into the inside pocket of her jacket and withdrew her Dragon emblem.

“I’m Sar Saylee Pryce,” she said, holding it out. The officers immediately saluted.

“Sorry about that, ma’am,” one of the Meowth said, sitting back on his hind paws and saluting with his right forepaw. “I don’t know if you heard, but the research lab was broken into last night and a scientist was killed. We were worried that you were suspicious individuals.”

“We’re not, and no, we haven’t seen any,” Blue said, lowering his hands and withdrawing Pete’s pokéball. “We just came to check something out, and we have, so we’ll be going now.”

“Keep up the good work,” Saylee said as she got onto Pete’s back behind Blue. “I hope you catch the criminal.”

“Us too,” the Growlithe sighed. “C’mon, I want to go sniff around the lab again…”

“Did you enjoy getting to pull rank?” Blue asked with a grin as they flew into the air.

“I probably shouldn’t,” Saylee said, “but yeah.” She put the stones in her pocket and clung onto Blue as Pete swooped towards Violet City.

“So where would you find Groudon and Kyogre anyway?” Blue asked.

“I don’t know,” Saylee said, thinking hard about any time she’d heard of the two titanic gods. “But I’m pretty sure they’re major religious figures in Hoenn…”


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 0   
> Deaths: 0
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 0   
> Deaths: 1

Saylee fanned herself with a brochure, fuming, as the rickety truck bounced along the road. She tried focusing on not kicking the ribs of the extremely large man that kept leaning on her in his sleep, and not the aching absence of her Pokémon. _I’m just going on a research trip, though, and they’re needed in Kanto._ _There’s no Team Rocket, no civil warfare, no gangs—not in Hoenn. I’m here to find someone who can tell me about Groudon and Kyogre and maybe even these rocks. I’m not here to fight anyone, not even this giant—_

She couldn’t help yelping as the truck suddenly jerked to a halt, nor could she suppress a small grin as the jerk woke up the large sleeper and several of the louder snorers. She had been missing her private room on the cruise ship. Some kind of crash in the Slateport docks had forced her ship to dock at a small fishing suburb outside of Slateport, and now a truck was taking them to Rustboro because there wasn’t a teleporter that was safe for human use in the tiny cluster of houses that barely passed for a village.

“Oi, what’s the holdup?” someone from the front of the truck called, banging on the dividing wall between the “passenger” area and the driver’s cab.

“Bit of a breakdown,” the driver called. “I’ll just get out and fix it, so hold on, alright? We’ll get to Rustboro a little later, that’s all.”

“Where are we, anyway?” someone else asked.

“Littleroot,” the driver called, now sounding like he was outside and around the right-hand side of the truck. Saylee grabbed her bag and jumped to her feet, “accidentally” kicking the large man who was now trying to fall asleep on her legs. She straightened her tank top before opening the back door of the truck. Outside was just as swelteringly hot as the inside of the truck, but much brighter and nowhere near as muggy. Hoenn was much warmer than Kanto and Johto, and Saylee had arrived in the early days of a blazing summer.

“The Birch research lab is in Littleroot, isn’t it?” she asked, looking around for the driver and spotting his legs sticking out from under the truck.

“Yeah,” the driver called. “Just down the road from here…”

“I’ll get out here, then,” Saylee said, waving as she walked past his feet. “Thanks for the ride.”

“We apologise for the inconvenience, please ride with Sea Star Lines again, have a nice summer,” the driver called.

{}

“ _Mom_ , Petalburg’s not that far! I’ll be fine!”

“There are wild Pokémon out there, young lady!”

“Yeah, because Wurmple are _so_ dangerous and threatening.”

“What if you get found by a pack of Poochyena?!”

“Excuse me,” Saylee said, walking up to a tall, blonde middle-aged woman arguing vehemently with a teenage girl. The girl was taller and skinnier, with brighter blonde hair and blue eyes behind her glasses, but her resemblance to her mother came through most in the identical way their eyes and mouths crinkled in anger as they shouted at each other. They seemed too busy arguing to notice Saylee.

“Mom, it takes all of an hour to walk to Petalburg, and I could probably kick out most of the Pokémon between here and there myself!” the girl shouted. “I’m _not_ a baby!”

“Can I just ask...?” Saylee tried, but they ignored her.

“It’s not safe!” the woman insisted. “I’m sorry, Key, but you are _not_ going without the Professor!”

“About the Professor,” Saylee said loudly. “Would this be Professor Birch?”

The older woman finally seemed to notice that somebody else was there. The girl, Key, just crossed her arms and looked away from her mother in a huff. The woman’s eyes widened somewhat as she looked at the newcomer. Saylee glanced down at herself and couldn’t entirely blame her; in a green tank top and denim shorts, the various scars that peppered her arms and legs were clearly visible, especially the burns across her shoulders, and her beloved old yellow bag had at least one set of what were obviously stitched-up claw marks. Still, after a moment, the woman smiled politely and said, “Yes, Professor Birch lives here.”

“I’m here to see him—do you know where he is?” Saylee asked. The woman nodded, smiling in the friendly fashion that people do when weird-looking strangers walk in on them having a big fight.

“His lab’s just south of here,” she explained, pointing. “Head down that path and...”

Screaming suddenly split the air, loud and frantic and featuring a not inconsiderable amount of swearing. Key’s head snapped up out of her huff.

“That sounds like the Professor,” she said. “Something’s happening to him!” The girl immediately tore off in the direction of the screaming.

“KEY! GET BACK HERE!” Her mother shouted, darting after her.

Saylee grabbed her arm. “It’s alright ma’am, I’m a ranger,” she promised, pulling her ID out of the side pocket on her bag and showing it to the woman. “I’ll go get them.”

“Oh, _thank_ you!” the woman sighed in relief.

Saylee ran off after Key, not mentioning that she didn’t have any Pokémon. It didn’t seem worth the mention; the tourist brochure that she’d picked up on the ship had indicated that Petalburg was in the centre of some major breeding forests, so most of the Pokémon running wild in the area were young just leaving their nests. It couldn’t be that dangerous.

{}

As Key grew closer to the source of the shouter, she could distinguish the angry yapping of Pokémon from the Professor’s panicked shouts.

“Nest invader!”

“I’m not! I’m sorry! I didn’t know your nests were there!”

“Nest invader! Nest invader!”

“Professor Birch!” Key yelled, spotting the portly older man trying desperately to scale a tall tree with no lower branches. All around the base of the tree were angry, growling Zigzagoon, several large ones jumping high enough to snap at his heels while smaller, baby Zigzagoon yipped enthusiastically behind them. A few of them turned at Key’s shout, snarling at her. “Professor, what did you _do_?”

“Not important right now, HELP!” the Professor yelled. “My bag! There are Pokémon in my bag!”

“Your bag?” Key said, looking around wildly.

“This bag?” Key caught the brown satchel as it was tossed to her by the short, scarred-up woman who’d come out of the refugee truck. The woman’s eyes bugged a little as she saw Professor Birch’s predicament, causing her to push her glasses up her nose as they went squint. “Whoa. What did you do, stand in a nest?”

“Here they are!” Key said, digging in the Professor’s bag and coming up with a pair of pokéballs. “Two, right?”

“Yes, yes, use them, PLEASE!” The Professor howled as a large one latched onto his ankle. “OWWWWW!”

“Go on then, pick one,” the woman said, stepping between Key and the growling Zigzagoon, “and I’ll have the other.” She looked like she was ready to start beating up the Zigzagoon even without Pokémon.

Key stared nervously down at the pokéballs. She hadn’t held one for years, let alone… “Fine... this one, then,” she said, selecting a pokéball with a leaf emblem on it and then handing the other, the one with a little fireburst, to the woman. The brunette turned it around in her hand before pressing the button on the front. Key tentatively pressed the opening of her pokéball.

Both opened in a flash of light, and two Pokémon appeared between the pair of them and the herd of Zigzagoon. One was a small green lizard with a red belly and a dark green tail almost the size of its own body, and the other was a bright-orange bird of similar size with yellow fluff where older birds had wings.

“Professor, what did you do _now?_ ” the green one said, rolling his large yellow eyes and flicking his large dark green tail.

“This don’t look fun,” the orange bird commented as several Zigzagoon turned on them and started to growl.

The brunette pulled an old-fashioned flip-style pokédex out of her pocket and snapped it open. “Oooh, a Treecko and a Torchic!” the woman gasped, looking far more excited than anyone surrounded by angry Zigzagoon ought to be. “They’re _rare_!” She frowned at the screen on her pokédex. “Oh, but they’re young. Have you guys ever fought before?” she asked.

“Fought? Are you kidding me?” the green one scoffed, glaring at the Zigzagoon. Some of whom were starting to heckle him, telling him to get back up a tree or to go suck on a twig.

“Y’all be nice, Thomas,” the orange bird admonished, stepping back. “No, we ain’t fought afore, not in the wild, leastaways. If y’all got any tips, they’ll be good an’ welcome.”

“Treecko only knows Pound and Leer, and Pound’ll knock the smaller ones aside,” the woman said to Key, pointing at the green one. She stepped aside as a Zigzagoon snapped at her. Most of them were still focused on Professor Birch. “Torchic can only Scratch and Growl at this age, so it’ll be better for taking out the larger ones. Divide and conquer?”

“I can use a Pokémon?” Key asked, looking down at Thomas the Treecko. “Do you want to fight together?”

“Why the hell not?” Thomas growled, crouching. “Just say the word. These Zigzagoon are starting to tick me off.”

“Okay... can you skip the babies and attack the smaller adults?” Key said. Thomas gave her a “duh” look before running up the side of a tree and jumping down to smack his tail heavily into a pair of small Zigzagoon. As they fell aside, the Torchic ran through, directed by the strange woman, to enthusiastically scratch at the pack leaders. The Torchic kept attacking the large ones, but it always took him a few seconds to beat them down. He was frequently interrupted by other Zigzagoon attacking him until Key got the hang of sending Thomas in to protect him. Even if he couldn’t knock the Zigzagoon out straight away, he could at least knock them away from his friend.

Working in tandem, the pair of them cleared out the pack in just a few minutes. The woman grinned, sweeping up Torchic in her arms as she nudged a straggling baby Zigzagoon aside with her toe. “Good stuff!” she said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a little sachet. “I have a fire-type that _loves_ these. Want one?”

“Sure,” the Torchic said, eating the little pellet that she fed him, before jumping in her arms. “Wow! Spicy! Ain’t that somethin’!”

“Glad you like it,” the woman said with a gentle smile. “I’m Saylee. Nice to meet you,” she said, petting the Torchic and looking over Key and the Professor as he dropped awkwardly down to earth.

“Teddy,” the Torchic replied, nipping at the back of Saylee’s hand. “An’ that little ol’ mope down there is Thomas.”

“I’m not a mope, you’re just boring,” Thomas replied, scampering up Key’s back, causing her to squeak and nearly smack Thomas off with her hair as she looked around to see what it was. “And _you’re_ jumpy. Still, you came up with some pretty decent battle suggestions, for a human.”

“Pretty good, considering you’ve never battled before, Key!” Professor Birch said proudly, patting Thomas on the head and then clapping Key on the shoulder hard enough to make her knees buckle. “I guess you’ve inherited your father’s talent! Thank you, so much. And who might you be?” he said, turning to Saylee.

“Good for first-timers, right?” Key muttered to Thomas. “Better than the Professor, evidently.”

He grinned. “I think I like you,” he chuckled, patting her on the back of the head with his tail.

“The name’s Saylee,” the woman said, shifting her grip on Teddy so that she could shake hands with the Professor. “I’m from Pallet Town, in Kanto. I’m here in Hoenn for research, and your name came up as an expert on the Pokémon of this region.”

“You’ve come a long way!” Birch said in surprise. “Well, come along to my lab. You too, Key,” he said, smiling brightly at her. “Bring Thomas with you.”

“Where am I gonna go, the moon?” Thomas muttered. Key hid her giggles behind her hand.

{}

“Thomas seems to have taken to you, Key,” Professor Birch commented as they sat down in his lab with cups of sweet tea. Saylee stared at hers in confusion, took a sip, made a face and set it down again. Key slugged hers down in a single gulp. Professor Birch laughed and refilled it. “That doesn’t happen often, does it?” he continued, smiling at Thomas.

“Eh, she’s alright,” Thomas replied casually.

“That’s just Thomas-speak for ‘she’s amazin’’,” Teddy translated. Saylee smiled and gently stroked the yellow crest on his forehead, which made him hum happily. The calm manner in which he reacted to Thomas’ bored rudeness reminded her starkly of the way Red and Blue used to be as kids, making her feel inordinately fond of both of them. Key kept stroking Thomas’ head and tail, hardly looking away from the little green Pokémon. Saylee figured that she hadn’t had Pokémon before and was excited about being around Thomas.

“You two might as well keep them, if you’d like,” Birch continued. “It’s better for them to be out of the lab now that my research on them is finished, and Milo’s already left anyway.”

“I know he did, Silyon was showing off about it,” Key commented, stroking Thomas’ tail. He closed his eyes and smiled vaguely. She suddenly looked up at Professor Birch. “Wait, I get to _keep_ him? He’s _mine_?”

“Glad to know my new trainer’s quick on the uptake,” Thomas commented sleepily.

Saylee turned Teddy to face her. “Do you want me to be your trainer while I’m in Hoenn, Teddy?” she asked.

He looked hopefully at her bag. “Can I have more a’ them spicy niblets?” he asked. Saylee nodded. “Then I would _love_ for y’all to be my trainer.”

“Brilliant!” Key shouted, jumping up and hugging Thomas, making him yell in protest. “If I have a Pokémon, I can go see Dad! And Mom can’t stop me! HAH!”

“Thank you very much,” Saylee said, hugging Teddy. She dug her pokédex out of her bag. “My Pokédex doesn’t have a lot of data on Pokémon of this region… Can I connect it to your database?”

“Be my guest,” Professor Birch said, indicating a computer. Saylee jumped onto it, settled Teddy on the desk next to it, and lined up the Pokédex with the infrared link.

Key finally let Thomas go, allowing him to perch on her shoulder again. “Where _is_ Sissi?” she asked. “I want to go show off to him!”

“He went up to Route 103,” Professor Birch explained. “You and Thomas be careful, and let your Mom know where you’re going!”

“I will!” Key promised, running out of the door, and adding a muttered “not,” as soon as the door slammed shut behind her. Thomas laughed aloud.

{}

“So if y’all’ve trained Pokémon afore, why ain’t they with y’all right now?” Teddy asked, watching Saylee download one data file after another. “I bet real trained Pokémon woulda cleared out them Zigzagoon faster than us.”

Saylee glanced down at him, then back to the screen, flashing data lines reflecting off of her glasses. “I’m a ranger in Kanto,” Saylee explained. “My Pokémon are experienced fighters, but the ship I took doesn’t allow registered battling Pokémon, and for some reason this stupid system won’t let me import them…” she thumped the computer, but the ‘SENDING NOT PERMITTED’ error message remained in place. “My boyfriend’ll look after the ones that are coming over until he comes over,” she continued, typing a quick text to Blue on her Pokegear to let him know what was wrong. “Not all of my Pokémon fight with me, though. Some had other homes to go to, jobs to do, families to raise. And some of the Pokémon I’ve trained...” she looked back at Teddy again, sadness in her eyes. “Some of my Pokémon have died. More than some.”

“Oh...” Teddy clacked his beak nervously. “I’m real sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Saylee said, looking back at the screen. “I feel like you should know, though. I am categorically incapable of keeping out of trouble. When I see conflict, when I see problems, I can’t help stepping in and trying to help. It’s why I’m a ranger. But as a result, I end up fighting people. Very bad people, sometimes. Major fights, with high stakes. And in fights like those, Pokémon die. I don’t have any right to train you, Teddy, unless you know what you’re getting into.”

Teddy watched her quietly for a few minutes. “Well, I’ve heard that Kanto’s a real mess,” he ventured, “but, well... Hoenn’s _peaceful_. Things ain’t gonna get nowhere _near_ that bad here. So what’s so scary?”

Saylee smiled a little, and reached out to stroke him on the head, without looking away from the computer screen. “Thank you, Teddy. I promise that I’ll look after you. I’m good with fire-types.”

“Have you found everything alright?” Professor Birch asked, walking in and setting some notebooks down on the desktop next to the computer.

“Well, it doesn’t look like I can import my Pokemon, which is a problem,” Saylee sighed.

“That’s odd… this computer is set up as a transport computer,” Professor Birch said, frowning at the error message onscreen. “Maybe it’s a system error. Send through an error message to the system manager and it should be fixed soon.” He clicked a few buttons to send an automated error report and then smiled at Teddy. “Good thing you’re going with her, eh?”

“Thank you for letting me keep Teddy,” Saylee said with a smile, petting the Torchic. “Professor Birch, can I ask you something? I don’t know if this is really your area, but one of the reasons I came to Hoenn was in the hope of finding out something about these.” She dug into her bag, feeling for the flat scale of her dreamcatcher and locating the little cloth bag attached to it. She withdrew the two small, sharp gem fragments within and held them out to Professor Birch. “You wouldn’t know what they are, would you?”

“I’m afraid you’re right, this isn’t really my area,” Professor Birch said regretfully, picking up the stones and peering at them. “Hmm. The colours are Groudon and Kyogre’s insignia colours…”

“I heard that the last recorded battle between the pair of them took place on the east coast of Hoenn,” Saylee mentioned. She’d taken something of an interest in Legendary Pokémon over the previous three years. She felt a pang as she remembered that the archaeologist who’d told her about Groudon and Kyogre was Professor Hawkshaw. She hadn’t seen the Professor’s body or the crime scene, so it still felt strange to think that the next time she went to the Ruins of Alph, the bubbly woman wouldn’t be there to talk for an hour when asked the simplest of questions about legendary Pokémon.

“So they say,” Professor Birch said, turning the stones over. “Well, culturally, they’re very popular here, no doubt because nearly everyone in the country lives within a day of a volcano or the sea… anyway, I’m afraid I can’t help you,” he said regretfully, handing the stones back to her. “I’d recommend Steven Stone, but since he left his seat as Champion a few years ago I have no idea how you would contact him.”

“Steven Stone…?” Saylee asked looking up from the stones.

{}

Saylee winced as she stepped out into the heat and light outdoors, having gotten used to Professor Birch’s air-conditioned laboratory.

“Saylee, right?”

She felt her heart skip a beat in surprise, but she showed no outward signs of shock that Key seemed to have teleported behind her. She turned to see the girl leaning against the wall next to Birch’s front door, blonde hair over one shoulder and Thomas perched lazily on the other.

“Hi, Key,” Saylee said. “Hey, Thomas. What’s up?”

“You’re going through Petalburg, aren’t you?” Key asked. “I need to go there, but my mom _still_ won’t let me go on my own. Apparently, Thomas doesn’t count. Care to travel together?”

“What happened to your friend Silyon?” Saylee asked. “Or is he your boyfriend?”

“He’s staying here and working with the Professor, and no, he has a boyfriend already,” Key said, rolling her eyes. “So, can I go with you?”

“Sure, why not,” Saylee agreed, letting Teddy out of his pokéball. “I’m sure you guys would like to travel together too, right?”

“Whatever,” Thomas muttered.

“That means he’d sure love to,” Teddy translated. Saylee grinned, watching him run back and forth. _I’m glad he’s nippy enough to walk on his own… it’s warm enough here without a fire-type’s body heat in my arms,_ Saylee thought.

“Thanks!” Key said, pushing away from the wall and waving at her house. “HEAR THAT, MOM?” She yelled. “I’M NOT GOING ON MY OWN! Right, let’s go,” she said happily, heading down the road to Oldale.

Saylee paused, looking in the direction of Key’s house. Key’s mother was leaning out of the window, looking after her daughter in concern, then she spotted Saylee.

“Are you okay with letting her go?” Saylee asked, jogging over to the house.

“Not really, but… maybe she’s right, and we have been keeping her from having Pokemon for too long,” the woman sighed. “I searched your badge number to make sure you check out… I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Saylee said with a shrug. “It’s the smart thing to do.”

“Yes, well… you’re the head ranger in Kanto, so you _can_ keep her safe, can’t you?” the woman asked. “Her and her Pokemon? She’s not wrong, the path to Petalburg isn’t _that_ dangerous, but… she’s my daughter. It’s my job to worry too much.”

“If you’re okay with me escorting her, then yes, I promise I’ll make sure nothing happens to her,” Saylee promised.

“Or her Pokemon,” the woman reminded her.

“MOM, YOU’D BETTER NOT BE TELLING HER TO STOP ME!” Key shouted back at them.

“I’ll call Norman and let him know you’re on your way,” Key’s mother said, folding her arms.

“I’ll make Key call you back when we get there,” Saylee promised, waving and heading off after Key.

{}

“That Zigzagoon rush yesterday was weird,” Key commented as they waded through the knee-high grass towards the small cluster of houses that passed for a town. Oldale was within sight of Littleroot, but neither town was particularly large or growing, so they remained separate with a wide dirt path between them, surrounded by forests and fields full of wild Pokémon.

“They were calling the Professor a nest invader,” Saylee pointed out. “There are a lot of nesting grounds around here. That’s why most of the wild Pokémon in this area are young and weak.”

“Wild Pokémon,” Key said, rolling her eyes. “I’ve hardly ever seen any dangerous wild—GAAAAAAH!”

As she’d pushed aside a low-hanging branch, something pink had dropped off of the branch and onto her head and was now wrapping itself up in her long blonde hair.

“Oooh, it’s _soft_!” a little voice squealed as Key flailed at her hair. Saylee grabbed the little pink creature by its tail, and the two of them, over several patient minutes, managed to extract it from Key’s hair.

“That isn’t cocoon silk,” Saylee said sternly, dangling the tiny Pokémon by its tail in front of her. Key combed her fingers through her hair a few times in frustration, but the angry look melted on her face when she got a good look at the bug.

“It’s a WURMPLE!” She squealed. “Oh, isn’t she _cute_? I’ve always wanted one! Do you think I can catch her?”

“We can buy pokéballs in Oldale, right?” Saylee said, handing the Wurmple over to Key. “Hold onto her until then, and you can buy her a pokéball. She seems pretty taken with your hair, anyway.”

“’Cause it’s nice and soft!” the Wurmple said chirpily. “My name’s Wanda. Who’re you?”

“I’m Key, and this is Thomas,” Key introduced herself. “And that’s Saylee and Teddy. We’re Pokémon trainers... well, Saylee and I are, anyway.”

“Nice to meet you!” Wanda said, crawling up onto Key’s shoulder opposite from Thomas and immediately beginning to wind herself into Key’s hair. Saylee couldn’t help grinning—it reminded her of Wendy’s habit of wrapping herself up in anything she could reach just before she evolved. Wilma and Cal had done it, too. _Must be a bug thing._

Her smile faltered a little as she thought of her lost bugs, but as she had already turned to move on to Oldale and Key was wrapped up in getting to know Wanda, nobody noticed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we go into Hoenn! I did this Nuzlocke run conjointly with my friend and muse Key-chan. If you’ve read the previous two fics, you’ve probably occasionally read ranting about how fabulous and inspirational she is. She is the reason most of these fics exist. Most of the earlier half of this fic is written by me, but later on there are large sections written by Key-chan, mostly concerning her character Key and her story. While I’m still not intending to post regularly until the beginning of June because life is still pretty busy just now, but I just had to post something in honour of THE RUBY AND SAPPHIRE REMAKES BEING CONFIRMED. *excited Whismur squealing* HOENN IN 3D. KYOGRE AND GROUDON IN 3D. FORTREE AND SOOTOPOLIS AND LAVARIDGE IN 3D. SECRET BASES AND HOENN CONTESTS AND DIVING AND EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE :D
> 
> Saylee
> 
> Name: Teddy. Species: Torchic. Nature: Mild. Ability: Blaze. 
> 
>  
> 
> Key
> 
> Name: Thomas. Species: Treecko. Nature: Calm. Ability: Overgrow. 
> 
> Name: Wanda. Species: Wurmple. Nature: Quirky. Ability: Shield Dust.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saylee:   
> Pokémon: 1   
> Deaths: 0
> 
> Key:   
> Pokémon: 2   
> Deaths: 1

“Catching Pokémon is easy,” Key said happily, idly juggling Wanda’s new pokéball.

Saylee looked around route 103, noting the sparse grass and thick copses of trees surrounding the path. “It is when they want to come with you that much,” she said, crouching down to examine some pawprints on the ground. “Some Pokémon want to travel, just like humans. They’ll seek you out. But they will probably want to fight you first to see if you’re good enough. Let’s try catching something out here. If we wait a few minutes, something will come looking for us.”

“What if we find a nest?” Key suggested excitedly.

Saylee shook her head. “Never catch a Pokémon out of its nest,” she said severely. “You can’t know that they want to come with you. You’ll never be able to build a good relationship with them if you just kidnap them like that. It’s poaching. It’s the kind of thing that Team Rocket did.”

“Who’s Team Rocket?” Key asked curiously.

Saylee scowled darkly. “Criminals,” she said, watching something peer out of a bush at them. “At least, they were. They’re generally inmates now... oh, here we go!”

It was a Zigzagoon, a young female judging by the patterns on her fur, and she was carefully making her way towards them, sniffing at them curiously.

“Go on, Thomas,” Key said, nodding at the Zigzagoon. He dropped from her shoulder to land lightly on the ground, then stalked towards the Zigzagoon, who bared her fangs at him in challenge. “Okay, Pound!”

Thomas slammed his tail into the Zigzagoon, knocking her to the ground. She rolled back to her feet and tackled Thomas. He stumbled back and then spun to whack her with his tail again, slamming her back into the ground. The Zigzagoon collapsed, dazed, before shakily trying to push herself back up.

“She’s weak enough now, right?” Key said, getting a pokéball. Saylee nodded and then set Teddy down as the bush rustled again.

“Leave her ALONE!”

“Teddy, Scratch!” Saylee ordered quickly as a second, slightly larger Zigzagoon shot out of the bushes, heading straight for Key. Teddy intercepted, scraping his claws through the bristly fur on the second Zigzagoon’s side. It knocked the Zigzagoon down for a moment before he got up again and charged Teddy.

“Scratch him again!” Saylee ordered, going for a pokéball. The male Zigzagoon was knocked down again, and this time vanished into the red light of Saylee’s pokéball. Key, who had stopped to watch the confrontation, remembered to catch the female just before she managed to get back up and escape.

“Let’s get them healed,” Saylee said, tossing the male Zigzagoon’s pokéball up in the air and catching it again, “and then let’s meet our new Pokémon.”

{}

“I’m Zac, and this is Leslie,” the male Zigzagoon said, licking his sister’s fur. “She doesn’t talk, not since she was a pup, so I look after her. I know she likes meeting new people, but I don’t want her to get caught without me!” Leslie nuzzled him back.

“It’s real nice t’meetcha, Zac,” Teddy said. “I’m Teddy, and this here’s Saylee, our trainer. Your sister’s with Key, but Key and Saylee are travellin’ together, so it’ll all be okay.” Saylee didn’t bother to correct him that she was only with Key as far as Petalburg. Both Zac and Leslie could feel safe and comfortable with their new trainers until then, and she could probably leave Zac with Key once she had to head on.

 _Or once I get my Pokémon over,_ she thought, glancing at the screen of the computer she was sitting in front of. It was taking a long time to process her transfer request, but at least the Pokémon were having time to get acquainted in the safety of the Pokémon Centre.

“Good, I like quiet ones, they bug me less,” Thomas said, nodding to Leslie. “I’m Thomas, and what I say goes. That’s Wanda, she’ll talk enough for the both of you.”

“Hi!” Wanda said, crawling up onto Leslie’s head through her fur. “Oooh… your fur’s not very soft at _all_! That’s no fun!” Leslie shook her head, knocking Wanda off.

“If you don’t like it, get off,” Zac said. “I translate for her,” he added to Saylee and Teddy. “ _I_ always know what she wants to say.” Leslie nipped him on the ear. “Well, sometimes. Mostly. Generally.”

Another error message flashed up on the screen. Saylee groaned in frustration and filed an error report, before spinning around to smile at the Pokémon. “Well, Zac, do you and Leslie want to walk with us to Petalburg?” she suggested, before adding to Key, “They’re lower in power than Teddy and Thomas, so they kinda need more training.”

“Sounds good,” Key said, returning Thomas to his pokéball. “What about Wanda?”

“Keep her out too,” Saylee suggested. “Watching other Pokémon battle will help her grow. She won’t really be powerful enough to fight on her own until she’s past the pupae stage anyway.”

“You mean after she’s a Silcoon or Cascoon, right?” Key said, scooping Wanda up into her arms and standing up. “I can’t wait to see which it’ll be!”

“Well, bugs evolve young, so it’ll probably be soon,” Saylee said with a grin, waving goodbye to the nurse as they left the Centre and started heading west. Oldale was small but densely housed, almost like a warren of tightly-packed strongwood houses with narrow dirt paths in between.

“You know a lot about Wurmple. Have you trained one?” Key said with interest. “You said you’ve trained Pokémon before.”

“Wurmple aren’t found in the Indigo region,” Saylee explained, “but I’ve trained similar Pokémon called Caterpie and Weedle before. They encase themselves in a cocoon quite young and are fully-developed adults before almost any other Pokémon has even evolved for the first time. They can be powerful, but they’re quite...” she pushed her glasses up her nose. “Quite fragile. Be careful with her.”

“I will! I don’t want to lose her!” Key said passionately. She nearly tripped over Leslie as both Zigzagoon stopped dead.

“What’s wrong?” Saylee asked Zac. His tail was standing up.

“We smell predators,” he explained, stepping in front of Leslie protectively, just as something bounded out of the grass.

“Hello!” yipped a young Poochyena, skidding to a halt in front of them. “You’re trainers, aren’t you? Cool!”

“Yes, we are,” Saylee said, suppressing a giggle as she crouched down to be closer to the little Pokémon. “What’s your name?”

“Polly! Oh, this is brilliant!” Polly said, rearing up onto her hind legs for a moment. “There haven’t been new trainers around here for _ages_! Fight me, miss, _please_!”

“You did say they’d seek you out,” Key remarked as Saylee stood up and patted Zac on the way up.

“Go on then, Zac. Tackle her,” Saylee encouraged her new Zigzagoon. Baring his fangs, Zac barrelled forwards as Polly did the same. They met in a couple of head-on collisions before Zac stumbled, breathing heavily. It was obvious that Polly was stronger than Zac and that he was flagging, so Saylee returned him and switched to Teddy, who easily knocked Polly over with a single scratch.

“Poochyena are quite hardy, and immune to psychic powers,” Saylee explained as she pulled out another empty pokéball. “She’ll be handy to have around.”

“I’ll save you, Polly!”

“Again?” Key said as a second Poochyena appeared and charged Teddy, knocking him away from the half-conscious Polly.

“Peaches... what are you...?” Polly murmured, peering blearily up at him.

“Don’t call me that!” the male whined. “It’s a _girl’s_ name! I’m PYTHON, and I’ll save you!” He turned his attention back to the humans just in time to get tackled by Leslie, who wasn’t particularly happy about seeing her brother getting taken down.

“Strong and silent,” Key noted approvingly as Leslie took Peaches—or Python—down. “Looks like we’re teamsharing a bit.” She threw an empty pokéball at Leslie’s victim which, after some struggle, fell still. Polly had already fallen unconscious and went into Saylee’s pokéball easily.

“Looks like we are,” Saylee agreed. “We’d better get them healed up. And then we really need to press on, otherwise we’ll never make it to Petalburg today.”

{}

They didn’t make it to Petalburg until the evening, being waylaid on the way by every bored kid with a Pokémon. The field was apparently a hotspot for local aspiring trainers. Key seemed to know some of them; a number of them greeted her by name and seemed surprised to see her with Pokémon. Seeing how small the town was, and how it seemed almost entirely residential with little in the way of shopping or social entertainment, Saylee wasn’t entirely surprised that almost every kid wanted to train a team and move out.

The bright side was that Wanda had already cocooned herself in glistening silver silk by the time they stepped into the glorious air-conditioning of the Petalburg Pokémon Centre. Saylee wanted to linger in the cool after they’d healed their Pokémon, but Key insisted that her dad’s gym wasn’t far. “Can’t wait to show these guys off to dad,” Key said, cradling Wanda proudly in her arms and tapping her fingers along the three other pokéballs on her belt. “He’s a gym leader, you know? I could totally challenge him for a badge!”

“Your father’s a gym leader? What kind of Pokémon does he train?” Saylee asked, shielding her eyes as they stepped back out into the sun. Most of the gangs and dojos in Kanto were being reorganized into a Gym system mirroring Hoenn’s. They formed a kind of government, enforcing local law and gathering together to decide national policy and major cases. They also acted as a test and loose career for aspiring trainers; the Gyms were often dojos for training and nonlethal battle and offered cash prizes to any trainer capable of defeating the Leader in battle.

“Normal-types,” Key said. “Like Leslie and Zac... actually, he has some Zigzagoon and Linoone of his own. He trains loads because he often gives them to kids who are starting out as trainers.”

Saylee wondered why he hadn’t given Key one, but didn’t feel like she knew the girl well enough to ask. “Is this it here?” she asked as Key led her to a large, imposing two-story building at the northern side of town. Nearby the structure was a large pool where several Slakoth were lounging and some Zigzagoon were playing in the water. Key nodded and pushed the door, striding in like she owned the place, which, in a sense, she kind of did.

The front room was done up in the old Indigo style, tatami mats and all. A couple of kids, a young girl with black hair and a teenage boy with green stripes dyed into his orange hair, were sparring with a Zangoose and a Furret. The boy was wearing a red tracksuit with the same pokéball logo as the door to the gym, and was watching the battle intently, but the girl was sitting cross-legged by the side of the battle, wearing shorts and a t-shirt and fiddling with her hair.

“Mila, Rob, hi!” Key said, waving.

“Hi, Key!” the girl, Mila, said with a grin.

“Is that a _Pokémon_?” Rob said, peering at Wanda over his glasses. “ _You_ have a _Pokémon_?”

“Four of ‘em!” Key said brightly. “Where’s Dad?”

“Uh, I dunno…” Mila said with a shrug. “Around?”

“At a guess, I’d say the kitchen,” Rob said thoughtfully. “Yori, Ari’s Eevee—she evolved into an Espeon. She’s been psychically speaking on Ari’s behalf, and now that Ari can communicate she won’t stop talking about how she likes toasted cheese sandwiches.”

“Aww,” Key giggled. “Thanks! Oh, guys, this is Saylee. She’s from Kanto. Saylee, this is Mila and Rob. C’mon, let’s go find Dad.”

“Nice to meet you,” Saylee said with a nod as she followed Key past the pair.

“Great, can you guys get off the battlefield so I can finish this furball?” the Zangoose asked, waving them past.

“Oh, please, they’re giving you a break from getting your ass beat,” the Furret said, squaring up to his opponent as Saylee and Key headed for the two doors at the far end of the room. Key took a key out of her pocket and went through the door on her left.

The house behind the front room was big and clearly full of kids. Toys littered the floor, and the walls were papered with children’s drawings and framed awards for school achievements in the names of dozens of different kids. “I’m guessing these aren’t all your relatives,” Saylee said as they passed a room where three toddlers—one with black hair, one with auburn and one with green—were playing with a paint set under the watchful eye of a man with brown hair and glasses.

“No, the gym’s attached to the Petalburg Orphanage,” Key explained. “I’ve grown up around other people’s kids. My mom and dad grew up here and met here. Plenty of kids come through here, and train Pokémon here, and some of them get fostered out and some stay forever. Some of them have stayed on as carers, and Rob, the guy back there, he’s probably going to inherit the gym. Mom and I lived here until… Dad!”

They stepped into a spacious kitchen with two large tables—one normal height, one half of normal height for small children—and a few scattered high chairs. A little girl was sitting at the lower table, happily eating a sandwich, while a bizarre green Espeon sat placidly by her side. A tall man with black hair and a red sweater with the sleeves rolled up was standing at the dishwasher, loading in some plates.

“Dad!” Key said happily, running over and patting him on the shoulder to get his attention. The man turned around and grinned brightly, giving Key a big Ursaring hug and a kiss on top of her head.

“How are you, Key?” he said, setting her back down. “Your mother called and said you might be coming. I thought I’d imagined her saying that you had a Pokémon with you, but if I did I must be hallucinating too!”

“Of course you’re not! Look look look!” Key held out Wanda, who she’d carefully shielded in her arms during the hug. The little girl waved enthusiastically at her and Key smiled tucked Wanda back into her arms so she could wave back. “Hi Ari! Hi, Yori! Wow, check out your green fur! I’ve also got a Treecko, a Zigzagoon and a Poochyena, Dad! Oh, and this is Saylee, she’s a ranger from Kanto!”

“Hi,” Saylee said, nodding at him. “Nice to meet you.”

“Ah, yes, Kate mentioned you… I’m Norman,” Key’s dad said, shaking her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you. Thanks for escorting Key. From Kanto, huh? Tauros are from there, aren’t they? Fantastic beasts. Oh, and I’ve always wanted to see a Snorlax! You don’t happen to have one, do you?”

“N-not with me,” Saylee said, letting go of his hand. She liked to think that she was pretty strong, after all of the travelling and battling she did, but she definitely just felt her bones grind. “I was just heading through on my way to Rustboro. Your daughter’s quick on the uptake as a trainer.”

“I can see,” Norman said proudly, picking up and examining Wanda, who blushed and hummed happily. “You know, if you’re a trainer now, you should—”

“Umm... Norman?”

“Wally, hello,” Norman said, handing Wanda back to Key and looking around at the boy of about thirteen who was peering around the door of the dojo. He had messy green hair and was the most pale and skinny human being that Saylee had ever seen, and she was startled to realize that she _had_ seen him before. It had been two years previously for her, but she wasn’t sure if it was in his past or future. He was nervously chewing his lip and shuffling from foot to foot. “Oh, are you done packing? Ready to get your own Pokémon now? Wally’s moving away tomorrow morning,” he added. “He’s being fostered by a wonderful couple from Verdanturf, isn’t that great?”

“Congratulations, Wally!” Key said happily. Wally blushed and nodded. “Is dad going to give you a Pokémon?”

“I don’t really want to be just given one,” Wally said quietly. “I’d quite like to catch one on my own. I think then it would really feel like it’s _my_ friend.” Saylee smiled at him, and he smiled back hesitantly, then stared at her, brow furrowing thoughtfully.

“Is that the case?” Norman said with a smile. “Well, it’s not that late. How about you girls go and help Wally catch a Pokémon? There are plenty of wild ones along Route 102.”

“Why not?” Saylee said with a shrug. “We’re staying here tonight anyway.”

“Sure,” Key agreed. “C’mon, Wally. I’ll loan you Leslie, she’s nice.”

{}

As Key led the way to Route 102, Wally hung a little behind her to talk to Saylee.

“Um, ma’am… have we met before?” he asked. “I’m very sorry if I’m wrong, you just seem familiar…”

“Have you ever been to the Sky Pillar?” Saylee asked. Wally’s eyes widened, enough for Saylee to see the ring of darker green around his irises.

“ _Oh_ ,” he remembered. “You were the lady with Mr Morty… is he okay?”

“He’s fine now,” Saylee promised. “I’ll tell him you remember him. What about you? Are you okay?”

“They think I have asthma,” Wally said, looking down. “But I feel better all the time, so…”

“Hey, Wally, she already has a boyfriend,” Key said with a wink, making the boy sputter and turn scarlet. “C’mon, I found a good spot for catching Pokémon.” She released Leslie and dragged Wally towards the edge of the trees.

“So... what do I do?” Wally asked, staring around in the twilight, before looking down at Leslie, who was sniffing around at random things near his feet.

“Something will come out to find you,” Key assured him. “You just have to wait. When it appears, order Leslie to tackle it, okay?”

“Okay...” Wally suddenly stood stock still, eyes going very wide in his pale face. “Hi,” he breathed.

“Um... hello?” Saylee said, looking around. Key gave Wally a confused look as he suddenly smiled very broadly.

“I’d like to meet you too,” he said shyly. “I’d _love_ to.”

“Who’s he talking to?” Saylee muttered. Key looked around too, and then looked sharply away, into the darkness. Saylee gasped as she realized. “It’s a psychic-type,” she said. “A psychic’s contacted him!”

A second later a tiny white-and-green figure materialized in front of them.

“It’s nice to meet you, Randall,” Wally said happily, stepping over to the little Pokémon and kneeling down in front of it. “I’m Wally, yes. It’s very nice to meet you. Yes, yes I am. How did you know?” The little Pokémon tipped its large, green-topped head and giggled. “Oh, of course! Yes, I think so too! Would you like to?”

“It’s green,” Key said with a frown. “Not blue.”

“It’s a psychic, specifically a Ralts,” Saylee muttered, flipping open the Pokédex. “They’re always green… He’s probably formed a psychic link specific to him and Wally. Ralts are very sensitive empaths. They’ll only appear to those with very strong positive feelings... oh, he must have been drawn in by Wally’s longing for a friend,” she sighed. “And then Wally’s happiness that he talked to him drew him in even more...”

“That’s sweet,” Key said, returning Leslie. Wally picked up Randall and cuddled him.

“Well, Wally, it looks like you have a Pokémon!” Saylee said brightly, snapping her Pokédex shut.

“I do!” Wally said, his grin threatening to slice off the top of his head. Randall smiled broadly too, hugging his precious new trainer.

{}

“Anyway, Key, I was thinking,” Norman mentioned over dinner. The dining room was filled with a crowd of three adult carers and about twelve kids of various ages, all of whom had been introduced to Saylee in such a rush that she only really picked up the names of the ones who were being yelled at a lot. Saylee sat with Norman and Key at one end of the adult table, leaning over their food to hear each other over the clamour of young voices. “If you’re a trainer now, then you should take the gym challenge.”

“I was thinking of challenging you,” Key suggested with a grin. Norman shook his head.

“If I’m going to battle you, Key, it’s going to be one hell of a battle,” Norman declared. “I think you should take on other leaders first. Come back with four badges, and we can have a _real_ fight!”

“Fine, then,” Key sighed, pouting. “So where do I start?”

“Start with Roxanne in Rustboro,” Norman suggested. “She’s a rock-type leader.”

“Hey, you’re going to Rustboro, aren’t you?” Key said. Saylee just nodded around a mouthful of hot bread and soup. “Cool, we can keep travelling together! Great, I was worrying about telling Leslie that she had to say goodbye to Zac... and I don’t think Python would be happy about leaving Polly.” She pointed out of the window to where their Pokémon were playing together at the water’s edge with the Pokémon belonging to Norman and the children. Leslie and Zac had already drifted off to sleep in a huddle with half a dozen other Zigzagoon, but Python kept snapping at Thomas and Teddy, likely trying to show off for Polly, who was rolling Wanda around like a ball. The cocooned Pokémon didn’t seem to mind and had even retracted her spikes to roll more easily.

“That’s true,” Saylee agreed. “Well, I’ve got no problem with it. I could do with talking to Roxanne, and I’m off to the Devon Corporation anyway. That _is_ based in Rustboro, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Norman confirmed. “Well, that’s fantastic! Key, you might want to phone your mom before you go. Make sure to tell her that you’re not going to be alone, okay? Oh, and tell her all about your Pokémon!”

“Fine,” Key agreed, dropping her fork on her now empty plate and running off towards the phone.

“And take your dishes and put them—! Oh, you do it, Van,” Norman sighed, waving at his Vigoroth. The excitable white Pokémon grabbed them and hurried away. “Now, Sar Saylee… that’s a pretty prestigious title in the Indigo area, right? So I can trust you to look after my daughter?”

“Of course,” Saylee promised. “Travelling on your own for the first time can be really rough, although I bet it’s a lot easier here than it is in Kanto…”

“Looking at you, I don’t doubt it,” Norman said, waving at one of the carers and then pointing at one of the younger children who was dribbling milk all down his shirt. “Shouldn’t have taken him off a sippy cup yet… anyway, it’s not that I don’t trust Key. I know she has it in her to be a great trainer. But she is my daughter, so it’s my prerogative to worry about her unnecessarily.”

Saylee laughed. “I’ll look after her,” she promised. “She’s really good at befriending her Pokémon, and really, that’s the hardest part of training. I’m sure she’ll be back here in no time.”

“I look forward to it,” Norman said, turning around as shouting broke out at the other end of the table. “NEFFI! DERY! Stop throwing food RIGHT NOW!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, time to start posting the Emerald-based dual run! There are currently 54 chapters plus epilogue, and posting will be every Sunday. I have no doubt that I will excitedly multi-post around the time that Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby are released :P I was tempted to wait until I could play those and then add elements to the fic, but that would mean a) me probably not posting this fic until November and b) the possibility of having to rewrite the entire plot and I really can’t be arsed with that at this stage, not while I’m trying to keep up an Avengers fic and finish writing the Platinum-based fic at the same time XP 
> 
> Okay, so the Petalburg Orphanage does pretty much exist for the purpose of mass cameos. Some of the kids Key knows from there will end up being quite relevant, though, I swear :P
> 
> Saylee
> 
> Name: Zac. Species: Zigzagoon. Nature: Rash. Ability: Pickup. 
> 
> Name: Polly. Species: Poochyena. Nature: Jolly. Ability: Intimidate. 
> 
>  
> 
> Key
> 
> Name: Leslie. Species: Zigzagoon. Nature: Quiet. Ability: Pickup.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee:   
> Pokémon: 3   
> Deaths: 0
> 
> Key:   
> Pokémon: 4   
> Deaths: 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Pecko” is the German name for Peeko. Key was playing the German version of Emerald and we decided that we liked “Pecko” better, so we went with it. Just a little clarifier since, the fic being in English, I feel it safe to assume that most readers have played the English version of the game.

Saylee and Key set out early next morning, heading for Petalburg Woods. At Key’s insistence, they detoured up Petalburg Beach, and it wasn’t long before they drew the attention of the local wild Pokémon, allowing Key to capture a new Pokémon.

“Marill’s a water-type,” Saylee prompted as she and Key watched Thomas circle a bouncy little Marill.

“C’mon, bring it!” the Marill squeaked, waving her tiny, stubby fists at Thomas.

“Planning to, soon as _somebody_ tells me how to play this,” Thomas said, rolling his eyes at Key.

“Okay… ooh, try out Absorb!” Key suggested.

With a muttered “Finally”, Thomas leapt at the Marill and latched onto her, the sticky pads of his fingers glowing green as he absorbed her energy.

“Get _off_! Ew!” the Marill whined, spinning around and flailing at Thomas. Her tail bounced wildly as she tried to dislodge him. “Get _off,_ get off, get… off… get…” She slowed down, starting to mumble and move more slowly, finally dropping unconscious onto the sand.

“Good job,” Saylee said, glancing up the beach at the rest of their Pokémon. Zac, Leslie and Teddy had all been watching the fight, as had Wanda from Key’s arms, but Polly and Python were both snarling at a Wingull that kept divebombing them, laughing all the time. “I’m just gonna go give Polly some pointers…”

Key nodded, grinning excitedly as she threw a pokéball at the unconscious Marill and watched it shake weakly before clicking shut. “Good job, Thomas,” she said, jogging over and giving him a pat on the head. He scurried up her arm to take his perch on her shoulder.

“’Course it was, I did it,” Thomas said, unfurling his tail in the sun. Teddy spat a cinder at him. “You’re just jealous that you ain’t this hot, Ted.”

“I’m a fire-type, dumbass,” Teddy replied. “You ain’t never gonna be hotter than me.”

Key picked up the pokéball and blew sand off of it. “Can you hold this?” she said, handing it to Thomas. “I need to get a potion for her.”

“Sure,” Thomas said, dangling the pokéball off of the sticky tips of his fingers while Key dug one-handedly in her bag for an e-potion. Unlike real potions, which were spray bottles, they came in the form of little tabs that attached to the buttons of pokéballs and uploaded an energy surge that allowed a Pokémon to heal in data form. Once healed, she released the Marill, excited to meet her new Pokémon.

“Hey there,” she said, crouching in front of the Marill as she yawned. “I’m Key. Nice to meet you!”

“I’m Manami,” the bouncy little Marill replied, grinning up at her new trainer. “Hullo!” She patted Wanda, who hummed gaily at her. Zac and Leslie both sniffed at her, and then Leslie licked Manami’s cheek.

“That means we like you,” Zac said. “She’s Leslie, and I’m Zac. Oh, and the _other_ little quiet one is Wanda. And the guy who beat you up is Thomas, but it’s okay, we’re not all jerks like him, I promise. Well, Peaches can be kinda dumb…” Key grinned, glad to see that her Pokémon were already taking well to their new teammate.

Thomas just gave a lazy wave and then looked up the beach at Saylee, Polly and Python. “Peaches, stop flirting and come say hi.”

“It’s Python!” Python yapped sharply, “and I’m just... giving Polly some moral support!” He turned back to where the other Poochyena was trying to wrestle a squawking Wingull to the sand. “Go on, Polly! Get her!”

“I’ve got her, I’ve got her!” Polly said proudly, lying on the Wingull’s wings. Saylee, resigned to the idea that it might be a while until a system admin called her back and told her how to get her Pokémon, threw a pokéball and caught the Wingull easily. She then pressed the tab of an e-potion to the connector on the front of the pokéball to restore the Wingull’s energy.

“Well done, Polly,” Saylee said, scratching Polly’s ears. She flipped her pokédex open and scanned the pokéball, allowing the device to quickly record all of the Wingull’s vital stats. “She’ll be a Pelipper one day. They’re quite versatile, and very powerful. Let’s meet her!” She opened the pokéball again, and the Wingull reappeared, preening her wings and settling ruffled feathers back into place.

“Hi there!” Polly yapped, running up to lick the Wingull’s cheek. “Sorry to rough you up, but a battle’s a battle. I’m Polly, who’re you?”

“Winnie,” the seabird said, looking unruffled by her foe from minutes before suddenly becoming friendly. She leaned over and pecked Polly lightly on the snout. “Very nice to meet you, honey.”

“I’m Saylee,” Saylee said, reaching down and stroking her on the beak. “This is Teddy over here, and... where did Zac and Leslie get to?”

“Wandered off, looking at things in the surf,” Key giggled, picking up Manami and hugging the bouncy Pokémon. “They’re curious about _everything_!”

“Well, let’s go find them,” Saylee said, getting back to her feet. “Polly, can you sniff them out?”

“I can too!” Python insisted. He began sniffing around, but he did it a bit too enthusiastically and snorted up a noseful of sand. “Aaaaagh! Ew! I can _taste_ it!” he gagged, coughing repeatedly. Polly sniffed a bit more cautiously and led them down the beach. Saylee allowed Winnie to perch on her shoulder before following the pair of Poochyena.

They found Zac and Leslie playing with a full potion bottle, batting it back and forth. After retrieving the bottle and finding that Zac refused to explain where he found it, they continued up the beach. At the end of the sand was a small quay, where a small motorboat was tethered next to an equally small shack. Saylee peered in the windows, but there was nobody there.

“I wonder where Pecko and her human are,” Winnie commented, looking around the sky. “Another Wingull lives here, a nice girl named Pecko. Has a human that’s been around here for a _very_ long time. But the only times they’re not here, that boat ain’t either. Where did they go without the boat?”

“A walk in the forest?” Saylee suggested with a shrug.

Key shook her head. “I wouldn’t think so,” she said. “We lived in Petalburg when I was a kid. That forest’s not very... hospitable…”

{}

Key pushed one-handedly through some of the lower-hanging branches and into a patch of second-hand sunlight. The forest floor seemed to consist entirely of tangled roots and slick moss—enough of the latter that Key simply slid her feet across the forest floor instead of properly walking. Saylee did likewise and found herself moving faster and more smoothly, although it took her a while to get the hang of balancing. The path was so slippery and narrow that most of their Pokémon were having trouble keeping up, so they returned all of their Pokémon except Winnie, who could fly, and Wanda. Saylee was starting to think that Key had taken her a little too seriously about the need to have Wanda experience as much as possible to encourage her growth. Key also left out Thomas, who was having the time of his life, hopping from tree to tree. “Used to play in here as a little kid,” Key explained, stepping automatically over some protruding roots. “I wasn’t supposed to, but we all did a bit. Used to pretend we were teams of explorers, stuff like that...”

“The light’s not bad,” Saylee said, grabbing a couple of branches to pull herself up a slight slope. “You should see the Fuchsia forests. The only light there comes from Venomoth eyes.” She turned to watch Key pull herself up the slope, which she did easily despite keeping Wanda clutched under one arm. “Why don’t you live in Petalburg anymore?”

“Didn’t want to,” Key said flippantly, grabbing a tree and peering up into the branches. “So me and Mom moved to Littleroot. Y’know what else is in here?” She climbed up onto a low branch and reached up to shake every branch she could reach. Something brown rolled out of the tree and collapsed at Saylee’s feet.

“What’s that?” Saylee said, backing carefully away as claws suddenly flashed out and hooked into the roots under their feet, allowing the soft brown creature to pull itself to its feet.

“Slakoth!” Key said brightly, releasing Manami. The Slakoth yawned, turned to her, and grinned wickedly before darting forwards with surprising speed, slashing out with its claws. “Manami, duck and tackle!”

Manami dodged Slakoth’s claws, ducking and then slamming into its midsection. It buckled limply and collapsed to the ground, already out of energy. Key threw a pokéball and captured it.

“I know Dad’s Slakoth,” she explained, tossing and catching the pokéball. “They all want to evolve into Vigoroth, but they’re far too lazy to do anything about it on their own.”

“I wonder what her name is?” Manami said curiously, bouncing around to peer at the pokéball.

“Let’s find out,” Key said, smiling. She pressed an e-potion to the pokéball, opened it again, and ended up with an armful of sleeping Slakoth.

“Oi, wake up!” Thomas snapped, hopping down from the trees and onto Key’s shoulder, leaning over to peer at the new Pokémon.

“Hmm?” The Slakoth scratched the top of her head slowly and looked up at her new trainer. “Hey, hon. I’m Serena. And you’re kinda comfortable...” she rolled over and dozed off in Key’s arms as Key scrambled not to drop her or Wanda.

Key rolled her eyes and set Serena down on the ground to free up her hand so she could return the Slakoth to her pokéball.  “Slow going, but they’re worth it, according to Dad,” she explained.

“Some of the most powerful Pokémon are like that,” Saylee agreed, sliding along again. “Do you have Magikarp here? Possibly the most useless Pokémon ever to live. All they can do is splash and they’ve got seriously short lifespans. Unless you put in the time to train them...”

“Then what happens?” Key said, tugging Saylee down a different path in the forest. “You get through quicker this way.”

“Thanks,” Saylee said. “And have you ever heard of Gyarados?”

Key whistled. “Nice. Wait… those come from _Magikarp_?”

“Yep,” Saylee laughed. “And then of course there’s Alakazam... who thought sleepy little Abra would be _that_ powerful?” She pulled herself along, tightening her grip around another branch and pulling it down a bit too hard. A Wurmple rolled down the branch and into her arms. “Oh, hello there!”

“Whoops!” The Wurmple yelped, looking up at Saylee. “Oh, hi there—AHH!” He scurried up onto the shoulder opposite from the one that Winnie was perched on. “BIRDS!”

“It’s fine,” Saylee laughed. “Winnie won’t eat you, will you?”

“Not at all,” Winnie said, leaning around Saylee’s head to look at the little bug. “He doesn’t look very tasty.”

“What’s your name, not-tasty?” Saylee said as the fat little worm leaned up her neck in an attempt to hide under some inch-long strands of brown hair.

“William,” he murmured, before peering out of the hair and spotting Key with Wanda in her arms. “Cool, a Silcoon!” he said, stretching out to look. “Although I want to be a Cascoon, myself. Purple’s cooler. White’s kinda... _girly_.” Wanda hummed indignantly. “Oh, you’re a girl. That’s okay then. Let’s be friends, Wanda!” He then climbed up onto Saylee’s head and tried to wrap himself in Saylee’s green headscarf.

“Oi!” Saylee yelped, pulling him off of her head and depositing him firmly on her shoulder. “You must be pretty close to evolving, too, if you’re trying to cocoon yourself. Well, don’t worry. I’ll get you there soon enough.”

“Why do you wear that thing anyway?” Key said, trying not to laugh as Saylee rolled up her headscarf and tied it back in as a hairband. It was almost funny to see her smile turn into a gape when Saylee brushed her hair aside and revealed a nasty scar across her right temple.

“Because my hat got blown off when I was riding on top of a truck and I need _some_ kind of shade in this heat,” Saylee muttered, tightening the knot and tugging her hair back over the scar. “Is this country always this hot?”

“It’s not that hot, is it?” Key said with a shrug, quickly trying to look like she hadn’t been staring at Saylee’s forehead.

“Hotter than Kanto and Johto,” Saylee sighed. “You’re further south here. More extreme weather. Well, that and there’s no dust clouds.”

“Dust clouds?” Key asked in confusion. “What’s that about?”

“A war in Kanto a long time ago,” Saylee said, focusing on steadying her slide down another slope. “It ended badly. A lot of pulverized debris ended up in the air and really messed up the weather. Rainclouds ought to wash the rest of it out over the next few years.” She looked up at the dense foliage. “The sky here’s a lot clearer. You’ve got a beautiful country here.”

“We like to think so,” Key said lightly, skidding expertly down the next slope ahead of Saylee. “You’ve sure got a lot of scars. I heard Kanto was messed up… did you get into a lot of fights there?”

“Yep,” Saylee said, glancing down her arms. The biggest visible scar was a large flame-shaped burn on her right shoulder that spread across her back. “It’s a hard-knock life, as they say. Although not so much now.”

“I think you freaked out my mom a little,” Key laughed, skidding backwards down another slope. “With all those scars you look like… Whoops, sorry, sir,” she said as she ran into a guy in a green suit. “Uh... I didn’t see you.”

“You haven’t seen any Shroomish around here, have you?” the man said nervously, looking around their feet. “I love them, you see.”

“Well... no, we haven’t,” Saylee said, trying not to stare at the man like she thought he was weird, which she did. “Are we nearly out of the forest?”

“Well, it’s another hour or so walk’s this way...” the man said, pointing the way. Someone was already coming down the path towards them. He was wearing a blue headscarf and a striped shirt, and seemed to be in a bad mood.

“You! Devon researcher!” The man snarled, reaching out and grabbing the man by his green lapels. “I’ve been waiting for you outside of this damn forest all day and I’m SICK of it!”

“Let me go!” The Devon man yelled, panicking.

“Hand over the goods!” The thug demanded, drawing back a fist.

“Hold up there,” Saylee said, reaching over and grabbing the guy’s wrist. He was pretty meaty, but Saylee had spent years camping, hiking and fighting alongside her Pokémon. She’d done Hernan’s workouts with him and had a deceptive amount of arm strength. The thug tugged at his arm, trying to knock her aside, but she didn’t budge. “Look, are you trying to buy something from this guy? There’s no need for violence.” She looked at Key. “I thought Hoenn was _peaceful_ ,” she said accusingly.

“Hey, random muggers aren’t _my_ fault,” Key said, looking from Saylee to the thug and then down to Winnie. When Saylee had moved, Winnie had flown out of the way, grabbing William and moving him to safety with her. The thug let go of the Devon man’s shirt to throw a punch at Saylee. She ducked, forced to let go of his wrist to get out of the reach of his punch. The guy immediately backed away as soon as he was free, grabbing a pokéball out of his pocket. Saylee stepped back as a large, angry Poochyena leapt out of the ball towards her.

“Teddy!” she called, releasing the short fire-type, who was still the strongest of her new team, to cover her. “Scratch!”

“Tackle them!” the thug ordered. The Poochyena attacked again, aiming not at Teddy, but Saylee. Teddy moved to take the hit instead, scratching back, but the Poochyena seemed to have been trained to go for people. It kept going for Saylee, and Teddy kept faithfully blocking before attacking. It was taking its toll on him.

Saylee released Winnie. “Winnie, Water Gun!” Saylee ordered. “Teddy needs you to cover him!”

“I’m on it!” Winnie said, flying down to disorient the Poochyena with a Water Gun to the face. “Heal Teddy!” She set down William next to Saylee and flew back into the fray. William was watching the fight excitedly, layers of fine purple string beginning to dribble out of his mouth and wind themselves around him. Saylee crouched down by Teddy, rifling desperately in her bag for a potion.

“Here!” Key said, cramming a potion into her hand. “And hurry, I think that Poochyena’s stronger than Winnie!”

“I know, I know,” Saylee muttered, spraying the healing concoction over Teddy’s wounds. They began to heal over, but the bruises weren’t gone entirely. “Dammit, I need another!”

“I can hold out for a few more seconds!” Winnie called, charging up another water gun and knocking the enemy over.

“Right!” Saylee responded, pulling another potion out of her bag and spraying it over Teddy’s wounds. He perked up, getting up, ready to hop back into the fray—

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!”

“No, Winnie!” Saylee shouted, spinning around in time to see the Poochyena bring Winnie down, landing on top of her with a vicious-sounding _snap_. Winnie collapsed and lay still.

“Winnie!” Teddy yelled, suddenly blazing hot. He leapt forward and scratched viciously at the foe. Already heavily wounded, the Poochyena fell unconcious. Teddy then charged the thug, who screamed as Teddy’s talons raked across his arm. The thug barely remembered to return his fallen Pokémon before fleeing. Teddy spat fire at him, but stopped chasing after a few feet, turning to look back at Winnie.

“Is she okay?” Key asked, running over as Saylee dropped to her knees next to her fallen Pokémon, scooping her up and cradling her. Saylee clutched Winnie to her chest, breathing heavily. It had been so fast, so sudden, so unexpected…

 _Hoenn is supposed to be safer!_ she thought angrily. _If I had my Pokémon, this wouldn’t have happened… I’m sorry, Winnie…_ She rearranged Winnie’s wings to make her look more comfortable, then stood up and made for the soft earth under the trees nearby.

“No, Winnie...” William moaned, curling up on himself. The silk wound ever thicker around him, hiding him entirely.

“It’s too late,” she said, kneeling down by the soft soil and taking out her small hand shovel to dig a grave. She seemed to only be able to see the hole in the ground and feel the shovel in her hand, as if she’d developed tunnel vision. Of recent years, it was the same whenever she had to deal with death; she became very functional, very focused on whatever practical task she could do, unable to cry in the immediate wake of a death. This focus had saved her life more than once in dangerous situations, but she could still feel the burning tears waiting to be cried. “I’m sorry, Winnie,” she muttered quietly while digging the grave, as if speaking a prayer. “Thank you for saving Teddy. Your sacrifice helped William grow, too. You achieved so much in your short time with us and died proudly.” She gently settled Winnie into her grave, stroking her beak before she began scooping soil back over her. “I’m so sorry, and thank you.”

“There is no such thing as dying proudly.”

Saylee turned to see Key standing there, clutching Wanda with both arms, glaring angrily at Saylee. Tears were running down the girl’s cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” Saylee said softly, unable to meet Key’s furious glare. “It’s very hard to see Pokémon die... but there are much worse ways to go...”

“And that makes it alright?!” Key yelled. "If you're gonna say something as ridiculous as that, then at least sound like you mean it!” With that, she spun on her heel and ran off, Manami chasing after her. William, now a Cascoon, was also eyeing Saylee warily.

“...I’m sorry, Saylee,” Teddy said quietly. Saylee just turned back to the grave, patting the soil into place and muttering ancient Marowak grave prayers.

{}

“Ummm... thank you so much for saving me,” the Devon man said as they left the treeline, finding themselves on a riverbank. Unable to catch up to Key, he’d hung around to follow Saylee out of the forest, claiming that she’d need a guide. Saylee figured that he just wanted a bodyguard. “I’m so sorry about your Pokémon... I hope that you and your friend make up.”

“You’re welcome,” Saylee said, cradling William gently. The purple silk was solid but impossibly smooth and slightly warm to the touch. “Take care.”

“Oh... you too!” The Devon man said, waving and heading off along the riverbank. Saylee just sat down by the river, Teddy sitting by her side and William in her arms. The man’s presence had kept her in the detached state of functionality, but tears began to well up as soon as he’d left.

“How do I tell Polly and Zac?” she said aloud. “About Winnie? And if Key doesn’t want to hang out with me anymore—not that I blame her—then they won’t see Python and Leslie anymore. I’m sorry,” she said to Teddy. “You won’t get to see Thomas either. Maybe you should all go with Key instead…”

“That ain’t your fault,” Teddy said, pecking her hand. “Y’all was just tryin’ ta help.” He looked down at his reflection in the water. “Y’all said that’s how it always happen. Before, in the lab.”

“It is,” Saylee said, bending over William, not looking at herself. “That’s why... it was supposed to be peaceful here! No gangs, no fighting... no...”

“Are you alright, sweetie?”

Saylee looked up and saw a Marill. She thought of Manami for a moment, but this one was larger, and had slightly more oblong ears. She swam across the river towards Saylee with her tail bobbing behind her. She crawled up onto the bank and sat by Saylee’s side, looking sympathetically at her. “You don’t look very happy, sweetie.”

“Just a bit lonely,” Saylee said, forcing herself to smile at her, wiping at her tears. “It’s fine. I end up like this a lot.”

“Which is not fine at all,” the Marill admonished her. “You’ve got a couple of lovely friends here, though. I’ll be your friend too, if you want, sweetie. I’m Molly.”

“Saylee,” Saylee said, reaching out and shaking Molly’s tail as the Marill extended it to Saylee. “Nice to meet you, Molly. Well, if nothing else, I’m meeting lots of new people and Pokémon out here...”

“Seems like the best way to go about things,” Molly said pleasantly. “You’re new around here, aren’t you, sweetie?”

“Just passing through on my way to Rustboro,” Saylee said, looking across the river to the distant towers silhouetted in the setting sun. It reminded her of the Saffron and Celadon skylines, how the skyscrapers peered over the trees, but most of the taller buildings in those cities were still ruined, the lower buildings being much easier to repair early on. This city was solid and functioning, much more like Goldenrod, and likely full of technologies that Kanto had yet to redevelop. “And then... I don’t know where I’m going. Onwards.”

“Do you think you’ll go to the sea?” Molly said hopefully. “I’ve always wanted to go to the sea, you know. So much water, all the way to the horizon...” she sighed wistfully. “It must be lovely.”

“Y’all could come with us,” Teddy offered. “We just... lost someone. We don’t have us a water-type now.”

“Oh, sweetie, that’s so sad!” Molly gasped. “I’m so sorry!”

“Thanks,” Saylee said, pushing herself to her feet. “You’re welcome to come with us, if you really want to.”

“Of course I do, sweetie!” Molly insisted. “Lead the way!”

Saylee managed to bring up something of a smile again, though she knew that Winnie’s death would be a shadow over her for the next few days, longer than she’d been with Saylee. It was always like that. “Come on, then. To Rustboro.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goddamn critical hits.
> 
> Saylee  
> Name: Winnie. Species: Wingull. Nature: Careful. Ability: Keen Eye. Level: 4  
> Name: William. Species: Wurmple. Nature: Hasty. Ability: Shield Dust. Level: 5  
> Name: Molly. Species: Marill. Nature: Careful. Ability: Thick Fat. Level: 5  
> RIP Winnie the Wingull, level 4-6
> 
>  
> 
> Key  
> Name: Manami. Species: Marill. Nature: Quirky. Ability: Huge Power. Level: 4  
> Name: Serena. Species: Slakoth. Nature: Bold. Ability: Truant. Level: 5


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 5   
> Deaths: 1
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 6   
> Deaths: 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who don’t remember her, there’s a shout out in this chapter to Valerie, who was captured on Kanto Route 15 as a Venonat and died in Saffron Gym of a Destiny Bond as a Venomoth. (After Armageddon)

The Devon Corporation Head Office was the tallest building in the city, looming over everything else with the Devon logo plastered over the top five floors. It stuck out even more because of the large cobbled plaza surrounding it, making it stand alone rather than be crowded by other skyscrapers. By the time Saylee reached it, the building was closed for the day and looked empty. When Saylee went up to peer through the front door, a security guard told her that the building would be open at seven the next day. When Saylee asked, she also got directions to the Police Station so she could file a report about the thief who’d murdered Winnie and the Pokémon Centre so she could book a room for the night. Saylee didn’t see Key anywhere in the Pokémon Centre, and her name wasn’t on the registry of trainers at the front desk.

 _Key probably knows somebody in town to stay with,_ Saylee thought, joining a queue for access to transfer computers. _Or maybe the Trainer’s School has rooms? Actually, how old is Key? I don’t think she’s mentioned…_

When Saylee got her turn, the transfer started to patch through, only to crash and shut down. People queuing behind Saylee groaned. She gave it two more tries, but the transfer crashed every time, and eventually she gave up and went to the canteen before somebody physically threw her off of the computer.

As she queued on her own in the canteen, she found herself missing Key. She’d travelled with Blue sometimes, and Silver too had been an endearing enough companion once he’d mellowed out of his hate for everyone and everything in the world and before he’d moved to Sinnoh, but for the most part Saylee travelled with only Pokémon for company. _Not that I don’t love my Pokémon,_ she thought as she got herself a bowl of pasta and went over to the dispensary of Pokémon food. _But travelling with humans is a little different. I don’t have to walk around alone anywhere that powerful Pokémon can’t legally be out of their pokéballs, and you never have to explain things like clothes, how to read or how human familial structures work…_

“Ain’t Key and Thomas eatin’ with us?” Teddy asked when Saylee let her Pokémon out to eat.

“Where’d they go? Where’s Leslie?” Zac asked, sniffing the air. “Who’s she?”

“I’m Molly, hon,” Molly said, waving to the rest of the Pokémon. “I met Saylee here when she was looking real down earlier.”

“Key’s not staying with us tonight,” Saylee hedged. “I think she knows people in Rustboro. I’m sure we’ll run into her tomorrow.” _If we’re not travelling together anymore, I should probably trade Zac for Python or something so they don’t have to be apart…_

“She was real torn up about Winnie’s death,” Teddy muttered. “You sure she’ll be alright?”

“What?!” Zac exclaimed. “Winnie’s _dead_?! How?!”

“Some goddamn piece a’ trash human made his Poochyena kill her,” Teddy growled, his feather fluffing up and heat radiating off of him.

“The police and rangers have been informed,” Saylee promised. “They’ll catch him and lock him up for what he’s done.”

“Lock him up? Can’t I chew on him a bit first?” Polly growled.

To Saylee’s relief, the discussion for the rest of dinner was about what they would do to Winnie’s killer if they caught him. Aside from Teddy in his guilt, none of them were grieving; they hadn’t known Winnie well enough. But they were all enraged by the ignominious manner of her death, and while part of Saylee felt wrong about not immediately going after him, she reminded herself that not only was it not her job in Hoenn, but that she clearly didn’t have strong enough Pokémon to take him out if she _did_ find him.

Even though chasing criminals wasn’t her job, after dinner, she took her Pokémon down to the riverside where, fuelled by anger, her Pokémon happily threw themselves into training until they were exhausted.

{}

The cracks in William’s shell next morning made Saylee panic and apologize frantically, until a consultation of the Pokédex revealed that the cracks always appeared directly before Cascoon was ready to evolve. She’d been dreaming—or nightmaring, maybe—about that monstrous fight, the first time she’d met Lance, in the caves under the Indigo Mountains where Pedro, Lorenzo and Paul had died. Maybe some of that burning battle spirit from her dream had seeped into William overnight.

It was very early when Saylee left the Centre, and most of Rustboro was still asleep. Saylee had long since developed the habit of rising with the sun, maximising the amount of travel time that she had each day. Today, though, since she wasn’t planning to travel far and she probably wouldn’t be able to find Key until the girl was awake and active, she went back down to the riverbank for another training session to bring her team’s power levels up. Zac was increasingly nervous about Leslie not being around for him to look after, but Saylee promised him that Key was still asleep and Leslie was safe in her pokéball—both of which were probably true. By midmorning, William had hatched into a vibrant Dustox.

“A poisonous, psychic moth,” Saylee said, scanning him with her Pokédex. “I’ve trained someone like you before. A Venomoth. Her name was Valerie. She was lovely, very intelligent and so versatile. She could take on everything, and generally did.” She pushed her glasses up her nose and flicked some hair away. “Well, everyone, feel like a break? I need to go check out the Devon building, and Key should be awake by now so maybe I’ll find her on the way.”

“Sounds good to me,” Polly yawned, showing somewhat larger and sharper teeth than she’d had last night. Saylee returned all of them, including Teddy, who left some moulting orange feathers behind. According to the pokédex, that meant that he was close to evolution, too.

Saylee walked back up the riverbank to Rustboro. It wasn’t exactly bustling at midday, but then, Saylee remembered, it was a working day. She could hear the chattering of children in the Trainer’s School, and the sounds of battle inside of what had to be Roxanne’s gym. On the outside, it was built to the same template as Norman’s gym, though smaller and entirely stone. Saylee wondered briefly if Key had had her battle yet and hesitated outside of the gym, wondering if Hoenn gyms kept a register of who had been in to fight and if they would let her see it.

Before she could go inside, though, she was nearly knocked over by three police officers, who were running towards the Devon building. Saylee immediately tore off after them. They were intercepted by a man in a green suit, who kept yelling “Stop him!” and pointing down a road that led to a forest to the east of the city.

Saylee realized that it was the same man that she had seen in Petalburg Woods the previous day, meaning that odds were good that the criminal that he was yelling about was the same assailant. Her first instinct was to run after him, but—

— _Winnie_! —

“No, no,” she muttered, pulling her glasses off and rubbing her eyes fiercely. “I’m not going after him. I’m not here to work, they have police and rangers here, I am not here to get any more of my Pokémon—”

“What are you standing around for?!”

Saylee nearly dropped her glasses in her haste to slam them back onto her face, turning to see Key running out of the gym towards her. “Key?”

“I saw him out the gym windows! It’s that guy that killed Winnie!” Key yelled. “Come on, don’t you want to get him?!” She ran off after the thief, a Grovyle running at her heels. Evidently, Thomas had evolved.

“Yes, but—no—WAIT!” Saylee yelled, tearing after her.

She caught up to Key getting lost among the bushes off of the track. One police officer was talking on his radio while the other two started sweeping the trees. “He went this way,” Key said, “but I’ve lost track of him... where did he _go_?”

“Hold on, William evolved. I’ll send him up to look from above,” Saylee said, tossing up William’s pokéball at the same time that Key threw up two others. William was joined in the sky by a Beautifly and a Taillow.

“Oh, Wanda evolved too?” Saylee said, watching the butterfly and the moth flutter around each other in surprise before flying off. “Congratulations!”

“Same to you,” Key said. “And meet Shikoba. I caught him while training out here.” Shikoba, the Taillow, began flying in widening circles, looking for the thief. “He’s got good eyes… he’ll spot that murderer.”

“Thanks, Key,” Saylee said quietly. “But if we find him first, we’re telling those police officers, okay? There’s no need to—”

“You’re looking for the human in blue, yes?”

Saylee whirled around to see a white bug-type dangling out of a tree, watching her with beady eyes. She snapped open her Pokédex to identify it as a Nincada. “Did you see where he went?” Saylee asked. The Nincada flipped backwards down from the tree, landing on all fours to face Saylee.

“Beat me and I’ll tell you,” she said, clicking the pincers on her forelegs. “I’m always up for a fight.”

“Oh, I don’t have time for this,” Saylee said, letting out Zac. “Zac, Headbutt her!”

“Oh, hey, you found Key! Hi, Key! Where’s Leslie?” Zac asked, sniffing at Key and then looking back at the Nincada. “Oh, right. Headbutt. Gotcha.” He rammed into the Nincada, knocking her into the air. She caught herself on the tree, swung around and sprayed string at Zac to slow him down.

Leslie barrelled past, also headbutting the Nincada in a determined effort to protect her brother, who nuzzled her happily. The bug collapsed, and Saylee caught her in a pokéball, healing her and letting her back out as fast as she could.

“Going to tell me now?” she asked.

“Come on, then,” the Nincada said, scuttling away. “This way. The name’s Nina, by the way.”

“Saylee, and—wait!” Saylee yelled as Key and their Pokémon ran off after Nina. When she looked around, the police officers had already disappeared into the forest. “Bugger,” she muttered, running off after her friends.

{}

“Pecko! PECKO!”

“Are you alright, sir?” Saylee said, patting the crying old man on the shoulder. He waved at a propped-up mineshaft.

“That scoundrel!” The man roared, tears dribbling down into his thick and haphazard beard and moustache. “He stole me poor wee Pecko, so he did! Oh, miss,” he entreated, “these old eyes cannot see in the dark of that cave. Can ye lead me in, so’s I can give that young rascal the kicking his pappy clearly never gave him?”

“We have a better idea, sir,” Key said, gesturing to their Pokémon. “We’re trainers. We’ll fetch Pecko.”

“Oh, thank ye! Good girls, so ye are,” the old man said, wringing their hands with quite surprising force for the wrinkly little frame and then pushing them into the cave. “Be quick about it!”

“So Leslie learned Headbutt too?” Saylee asked as Zac and Leslie sniffed around the cave and Zac chattered excitedly about his training.

“Yep,” Key said.

Thomas, Wanda, William and Shikoba swooped into the cave after them. “Leslie’s not the only one who got tougher,” Thomas said, preening his head leaf. “This time, that asshole isn’t killing anyone.”

“I have no problem with that whatsoever,” Saylee said, giving Zac a gentle nudge to distract him from a rock that he’d gotten distracted by and put him back on course to find the thief.

The tunnel, as Saylee had noted from the signs hung on the entrance, was a dead end, and the thief was cursing and pounding at the rock wall, a lumpy package at his feet and a squawking Wingull tucked under one arm. Saylee felt herself seething at the poor Wingull’s distressed calls for help. “Zac, show him your Headbutt.”

“Gahh!” the thief screamed, dropping Pecko as Zac hit him in the backs of his knees. He buckled against the wall, giving Zac space to snag the goods on his way back.

“Leslie’s always bringing me things she’s found,” Key remarked as Zac deposited the package at Saylee’s feet, turning to stand by his sister as they stared down the thief, growling.

“G... get ‘em!” the thief whimpered, his voice a little high-pitched, letting out the same Poochyena. It snarled at Zac and Leslie and jumped at them, but they dodged at the same time, leaving it snapping at empty space.

“Headbutt!” Saylee and Key ordered simultaneously. Zac and Leslie hit it from opposite sides, sounding like they’d crunched some ribs between them. The Poochyena collapsed, whimpering, and didn’t even try to get up.

“Dammit!” the thief muttered, returning his Poochyena. “Th... this isn’t...”

“Over? No, you’re right,” Saylee said, striding over and punching him full in the face, smashing the bridge of his nose under the heel of her palm. When he flung his arms up to defend himself, she kneed him very hard again. He collapsed, howling, blood pouring from his nose. “ _Now_ it’s over. Your Poochyena’s still alive because luckily for you, we don’t believe in killing, but I will feel no guilt whatsoever if you now want to tell us all about how you’d hoped to be a father someday.” She spun on her heel, heading for the tunnel exit.

“That was brutal,” she heard Shikoba comment. “Are human girls always like that? Not as pretty and delicate as you, Wa—ow!”

“Whoops,” William said sarcastically. “Sorry, the psychic powers are new, I don’t quite know how to control it yet…”

“You didn’t hurt him, he’s hamming it up,” Thomas grouched. “Now go fly and find the police.”

Outside, Pecko had already returned to the old man, who was hugging her happily and singing the praises of Saylee and Key. He gave both of them further socket-jerking handshakes, offering them assistance of a nautical persuasion should they ever need it, before strolling happily away. Saylee smiled to see Pecko leaving safely with her human, her smile fading a little when she caught Key staring at her.

“I can’t decide if that was really cool...” Key said, poking at the lumps in the package, “or really scary.”

“I’ve been called scary before,” Saylee said, scratching Zac’s ears before returning him to his pokéball. “Don’t know about cool.”

“Little bit of both, maybe.” Key fumbled in her pocket. “Hey, uh… I’m sorry I kinda blew up at you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Saylee said, taking the package from her so she could get out her pokéballs and return Leslie.

Key shook her head. “I thought… you weren’t upset about Winnie’s death,” she said. “I thought you didn’t care, but… I’m getting that you really do. I think that guy’s nose, balls and ribs are getting that, too.”

“Winnie isn’t the first Pokémon I’ve lost,” Saylee explained. “I’ve gotten good at channelling, I guess. It’s not that I don’t care, I swear. Even though I didn’t have Winnie for long…”

“Yeah… I’m sorry,” Key said awkwardly. “I didn’t know.”

“How could you?” Saylee said with a shrug. “Really, don’t worry about it.”

“Yeah… Speaking of cool, check it out!” Key said, she held up something small and shiny with pride. “Got my gym badge! Manami basically just spat on everything until it fell over. I kinda love her.”

“Congratulations,” Saylee said. “One down, three to go before you face your dad, eh?”

“One down, seven to go before I face the Elites,” Key said, straightening her glasses in a poor attempt to hide the glint in her eye. “Eight badges and you can hit Victory Road. Are you going to do the Gym challenge?”

“Don’t think so,” Saylee said, running her finger along her bag strap, which clinked. “Got plenty of badges already. Well, back home they’re more like the emblems of conquered lands, but whatever. I’ve got shiny to spare, and I’m not really here to fight. I’ll cheer you on.”

“I’m good with that,” Key agreed. “I don’t know where the next gym is, though.”

“We can look it up at the Pokémon Centre,” Saylee said. “After the police get here to take that asshole away, and after we return this to the Devon Corporation. I’ve been meaning to have a look around there, anyway.”

{}

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!” The Devon exec kept repeating as he dragged them up through the labs towards the President’s office.  “You _must_ meet President Stone! He’ll want to thank you too!”

“There’s really no need...” Key said, a little nervously, but they were already at the top of the last staircase and the exec was knocking on the door.

“Come on in!” a voice called, and the exec escorted them into a spacious, luxuriant office. Rare stones were displayed in glass cases all around the room, and Saylee couldn’t help drifting over to look at a selection of elemental stones before being insistently directed towards the president, a portly older gentleman sitting behind a broad wooden desk.

The exec hurried over to speak quietly to the President, who nodded, smiled broadly and beckoned to Saylee and Key. He was a neat, portly older man who still had a thick head of white hair that contrasted his deep tan. “So, I hear that you two have saved our man here, not once but twice!” he said, reaching over to shake their hands. “I can’t thank you enough!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Saylee said, but the president shook his head, opening his drawer and tossing two small yellow objects to them. “This is our latest top-of-the-line Pokénav. Please, take it as a token of my thanks.”

“Oooh! The new model? These cost—thank you!” Key said happily, digging her older Pokénav out of her pocket and starting to download her data into the new device.

“Thank you, sir,” Saylee said, switching it on and looking through the functions. It didn’t have as many functions as her pokégear, but the map was projected as a holodisplay rather than being confined to a tiny screen, which was helpful.

“Don’t thank me, for I am about to ask something more of you,” the President said apologetically. “I am starting to feel that these valuable goods will only be safe in your hands. Can I ask you to deliver them to Captain Stern in Slateport City? It isn’t an urgent delivery, but they _must_ arrive safely.”

“Does he work at the Slateport Dockyards?” Saylee said. She had heard that most of the transcontinental ferries were built in Slateport City, home of the largest docks in the world. The Indigo region had a small port at Vermillion, but no large ships were built there. Nobody had the supplies or the skill set. The ships built and maintained in Olivine tended to be smaller and transport people around the Fairlands only. “I’d hoped to check them out. It’ll be no trouble.”

“Thank you!” The President said happily, and then tugged on his moustache. “Well... erm... if it’s not out of your way... Can I ask you one more small favour? Dewford City is on the way to Slateport, and I need a letter delivered to a young man named Steven there.”

“Oh, dad mentioned that there’s a gym in Dewford!” Key said, grabbing Saylee’s arm. “We have _got_ to stop there!”

Saylee found herself smiling at the _we_. “It’ll be on our way anyway,” she agreed. “If there’s no rush, we’d be happy to.”

“Ah, thank you, thank you again!” President Stone said, shaking both of their hands and pulling a letter out of another drawer, which Saylee took and put in a side pocket of her bag with her dreamcatcher. “I cannot thank you enough, truly!”

“Before we go,” Saylee asked, “can I ask you something?” She pulled out her dreamcatcher, removing the slightly glowing red-and-blue shards from their bag. President Stone leaned forwards, peering at the stones curiously. “I hear you’re an expert on rare rocks and stones. I need to know what these are.”

“Hmm… never seen anything like them,” President Stone said, holding out his hand. Saylee placed the stones in his palm. Key stared at them curiously.

“Hold them up to your ears,” Saylee said.

He did so and gasped in surprise.  “These are most certainly not normal stones!” he exclaimed.  “But as for what they are… goodness, I don’t know.” He handd them back to Saylee. “Show them to Steven. He knows far more about unusual stones than I do… If anyone can tell you what they are, it’s him.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, putting the stones away again. “Oh, on my way out… is it alright if I have a look around the research labs downstairs?”

{}

 “So how do you think we get to Dewford?” Key said, opening her Pokénav map as they walked back down the stairs. “It’s not _that_ far... if only Manami knew how to Surf...”

“None of our Pokémon are large enough to support us,” Saylee sighed. “Molly and Manami are too young—it’s too far for them.”

“So how do we get there?” Key complained. “It’s an _island_.”

“Lucky we know an old Seaking then, eh?” Saylee said. “Mr Briney did say he’d give us a lift… Let’s head back to the Pokémon Centre and get some sleep for tonight. If we’re going back through the Petalburg Woods, we’ll want daylight, right?”

“Sure,” Key agreed. “By the way, Saylee, I have to know… what _were_ those rocks you showed President Stone?”

“I don’t know,” Saylee admitted. “That’s what I wanted to ask President Stone about… hopefully Steven will know. I’d like to know what I’m sleeping under.”

“Do you know what the _rest_ of the stuff on there is?” Key asked, pointing to the pocket, inside of which was a cluster of string and feathers and coins, a spoon and a bell.

“Most of it,” Saylee said, heading towards the Pokémon Centre.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saylee  
> Name: Nina. Species: Nincada. Nature: Hardy. Ability: Compoundeyes.   
> Name: Wilf. Species: Whismur. Nature: Bold. Ability: Soundproof.
> 
> Key  
> Name: Shikoba. Species: Taillow. Nature: Gentle. Ability: Guts.  
> Name: Wakana. Species: Whismur. Nature: Careful. Ability: Soundproof.
> 
> Soooooo… how about them Corocoro leaks, eh? The new megas look pretty awesome, Steven Stone’s looking hella fine as always and I’m liking Brendan and May’s cute new looks and the fact that they’re keeping Brendan and May, but I’m not really feeling the new Aqua/Magma designs. It may just be that in the course of writing this fic over the last two years I’ve gotten a little too emotionally invested in the admins as they were. The redesigns of the admins in particular so barely resemble their originals that it’s hard to think of them as the same characters. I might incorporate some aspects of the new designs in their descriptions before the chapters introducing them are published if I start to warm up to them. Are there any aspects of the redesigns that you guys particularly liked/hated?


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 7   
> Deaths: 1
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 8   
> Deaths: 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’d like to thank Guest Alex for leaving kind words as always (and I apologize for infecting you with my obsession for alliterative names!) and for making me laugh with “Pokelar Morghulis” (which is probably a tragically accurate Nuzlocke slogan in general…) In general, I’d like to thank everyone who’s left kind words about this fic. So long as even one person is enjoying this series, I’ll keep posting :)
> 
> Special thanks to the fabulous Key-chan for posting these on FFnet for me, as it’s going to be three weeks until I get internet installed in my new flat and Starbucks wifi blocks FFnet because it is “contains content not suitable for a family environment”. Whatever could they mean.

“I ran off and played here a lot when I was a kid,” Key said as they made their way through Petalburg Forest the next morning. “I figured out that I could go as far as I liked, since this slope would get me back in no time.”

“Did you play with the other kids in the orphanage?” Saylee asked. Key nodded.

“Until I moved to Littleroot, anyway,” she explained. “That was when I was seven.”

“Why did you leave?” Saylee asked. “Are your parents separated?”

“What? No!” Key said quickly. “No, they’re still happily married. My mom still works at the orphanage when I’m at school and does most of the paperwork and stuff… she might go back to living there while I’m travelling, actually.”

“So why did you two move out?” Saylee asked curiously.

“I… I got ill,” Key said, looking very intently at the path and not at Saylee. “Really ill. I needed a lot of care. Mom took me to Littleroot to look after me, and we never moved back.”

“Why not? You aren’t still ill, are you?” Saylee asked. “There’s nothing I need to look out for, is there?”

“No, I’m fine,” Key said quickly. “Really. Don’t worry about me. I can totally train Pokémon and do the gym challenge just fine. Look, we’re nearly there!” She skidded off sideways down the mossy slope that Saylee recalled from the climb to Rustboro.

Saylee followed, taking the descent a little more slowly and carefully. _Key doesn’t look unwell,_ she thought, _but that doesn’t mean that she’s completely okay… there’s something she doesn’t want to tell me. Her mum moved her away for ten years and panicked at the thought of her leaving with Pokémon, and she didn’t get Pokémon from her dad even though she clearly loves training them… but her parents would’ve told me if there was anything I needed to know, wouldn’t they?_

“C’mon, Slowpoke,” Key said as Saylee finally reached the bottom of the slope. “We’re nearly there! Where’d Thomas go?”

“Are we leaving already?” Thomas asked, leaning out of a tree. “Sure we can’t hang around and train here? C’mon, training is good, right?”

“We can train in the caves in Dewford,” Key insisted.

“Caves? _Again_?” Thomas complained, arguing with his trainer all the way out of the forest.

 _Key and I’ll be travelling together for a while,_ Saylee decided. _If there’s something I need to know, I’m sure she’ll tell me_.

{}

“This doesn’t feel safe!” Key yelled over the growling of the engines and the roar of the waves.

“Try riding on a Gyarados!” Saylee yelled back. She was casually dangling one arm over the edge of the boat, her fingers skimming the surf. The boat was tiny and smelled strongly of fish. Saylee and Key were crammed side-by-side in the back while Mr Briney stood up front and drove, Pecko sitting on his shoulder and crooning happily in the salty wind.

“Dewford ho!” Mr Briney called. Both girls leaned over the edge a little to get a clear view of the approaching island. It wasn’t large; a few houses crowded around something that was a bit large to be called a hill but a bit small to be called a mountain. They pulled up to a small quay, drawing some ire from a group of children who were sitting on the end of it fishing.

“You’ve scared ‘em all away!” One small boy yelled, sticking his tongue out of them.

“You’ll catch nothing but Magikarp with a rod like that,” Saylee called back, sticking her tongue back out at him. The other kids just giggled and recast their lines.

“So, where to first?” Key asked, getting up shakily and clambering out of the boat before turning to give Saylee a hand out.

“Is there a Pokémon Centre around here?” Saylee asked Mr Briney.

“Aye, lass, ye can see it from here,” Mr Briney said, pointing to a red-roofed building. “You lasses need a ride, don’t hesitate to call!”

“Don, I’m hungry,” Pecko said. “Can we go get lunch?”

“Right-o!” Mr Briney waved at Saylee and Key and headed off down the beach.

“Thank you!” Saylee called, turning to Key. “You can find out about the gym, and I’ll find out if there are any good caves around here.”

“For training, right?” Key asked.

Saylee shook her head. “Rare stones,” she said. “President Stone was a rare rock nut, and it sounds like Steven is even more so. If nobody in the Pokémon Centre knows where he is, I’ll want to check the caves.”

As it transpired, Steven had indeed been seen going into the Granite Caves to the north of town, and as the gym was already closed for the day (so the leader could “catch some choice waves”, according to the receptionist in the Pokémon Centre) Saylee and Key decided to go look for him.

The Centre receptionist gave them a complimentary HM for Flash, warning them that the cave was extremely dark. “I can’t legally use that, though,” Key said morosely, pulling her TM reader out of her bag and flipping open the side panel, showing the holes where up to eight badges could be inserted. When Flash was put into the drive, two slots lit up. “Not until I have two badges.”

“I’ve got more than a dozen, I’ll do what I want,” Saylee said, going through the pins on her bag until she found two emblems that the machine would accept. She booted up the HM and connected it to Nina’s pokéball. “Come on, let’s go spelunking!”

{}

“Rather unpleasant, this cave, isn’t it?” Nina said, her glowing eyes sweeping the gloomy cavern. “That Makuhita that you caught was _so_ uncouth.”

“Makoto was just enthusiastic,” Saylee said, holding Nina up like a flashlight to illuminate the cave. “He’d love sparring with Hernan. Hold up, what’s that?”

“Did you find something?” Key called, jogging over to catch up with her, Thomas on her heels. “I found a Geodude named Galen. I’ve got a full team, but he was pretty cool, so…”

“And I found... oooh, is this what I think it is?” Saylee said, wedging the round, shining stone out of the wall. “It is! It’s an everstone!”

“What’s an everstone?” Key asked, looking at the stone. It seemed to glow slightly from within.

“If you give it to a Pokémon to hold, it restrains their power escalation to prevent them from evolving,” Saylee said, upon which Thomas snatched it out of her hand.

“I want this on a necklace,” he declared, turning the stone in the light from Nina’s eyes. “I’m not letting this baby go.”

“You don’t want to be a Sceptile?” Key said in surprise. “Why not? Isn’t it every Treecko’s dream?”

"I’m a Grovyle,” Thomas snorted, flicking the long leaf crest on his head. “I get accused of having something stuck up my ass often enough, so I don't want to have to drag around a pine tree making it look literal."

“Not all Pokémon want to evolve,” Saylee explained. “My brother had a Pikachu who was terrified of evolving. He freaks out whenever he sees a Thunderstone.”

Key nodded. “So, how do we put this on a string?” she asked, giving Thomas a hug. “If you don’t want to evolve, that’s just fine by me. You’re much cooler-looking this way, anyway.”

“I’m not a hugger, but thanks,” Thomas said, giving Key a pat on the back. “Can we find this Steven twerp and get out of this cave?”

“I guess he’s gone pretty deep into the caves,” Saylee said. “Apparently all the passages just lead to dead-ends, though, so if we get lost we just need to pick a wall and follow it until we get back to the exit. Still, I’d rather find Steven than camp out at the entrance and wait for him. Oh, I’ve got an idea!” She released Polly. “Polly, you and Python can track human scents, right?”

“This place smells _disgusting_ , but yeah,” Polly said, wrinkling her nose. Key released Python, who sneezed, and then adopted a pose and expression of careful manliness when he noticed that Polly was out. “Python, do you smell any other humans?”

“Hmm... uh, kinda. This way!” Python said, bounding off, Polly close behind with her nose glued to the floor. Saylee ran after them, trying to keep Nina close enough to light their way, as she had already heard Python run into walls twice.

“OWWWWWWW!”

“POLLY!” Saylee screamed, recognizing the howl of pain and feeling familiar fear clench her chest. “Where are you, Polly?!”

“Get the hell away from her!” she heard Python snarl, and a _crunch_ as he attacked something. In the dark, he had to be navigating by scent, and was clearly doing it just fine. Nina’s eyelights finally caught on him gnawing on the wing of a struggling, shrieking Zubat, with Polly lying nearby, shaking and growling. Saylee crouched down next to her and tried to pick her up, but she snapped vaguely at her. Saylee shone Nina’s light in her eyes and saw confusion, something that she had always hated Zubat for.

“Python!” She heard Key call. “It’s done, Python. Come on, let it go. Saylee, is Polly alright?”

“She’s confused, she’s bitten her own paws and hit her head,” Saylee said, returning Polly to her pokéball. “She’ll be okay, I think. I’d just better get her to the Pokémon Centre soon.”

“Then let’s find Steven and get out of here,” Key said. “Python, can you keep following the scent? And stay close to us this time, please.”

“Okay,” Python whimpered, looking at Polly’s pokéball. He hung his head. “I’m sorry... I shouldn’t’ve run off. It’s all my fault...”

“No, it’s not,” Key said soothingly, reaching down to rub his head and scratch his ears. “You were just showing us the way, like we asked you to. Polly will be just fine, I promise.”

“’Kay...” Python said, sniffing the air. “This way. C’mon...”

{}

“There!” Python yapped, stopping in front of a side passage and wagging his tail. “Somebody’s down there!”

Saylee started walking down the passage to where she could see the glow of a camping lantern. It lit up the silhouette of a tall man as he straightened up from a crouch and turned to face them. When Nina lit up his face, Key gave a sharp gasp.

“Is that who I think it is...?” she breathed, eyes wide.

Saylee walked towards the man, realizing that she knew who he was “Steven?” she said. “Do you remember me? My name’s Saylee, from Kanto. This is my friend Key. You and I met in Lavender Town a couple of years ago…” The man smiled, silver eyes almost glowing as he nodded.

“Pleasure to meet you, Key, and yes, I remember you, Sar Saylee,” he said, shaking Saylee’s hand. “How is Lavender Town?”

“Undisturbed,” Saylee said. “Thanks to you.”

Steven grinned. “That’s good. So, what brings you out here?”

“I’ve got a letter for you from your father,” Saylee said, extracting the letter from her bag. Steven took it from her and looked at it for a moment before pocketing it rather than reading it.

“Thank you, ladies,” he said politely. “I need to make my way back to Dewford now. Shall I escort you back to the mouth of the cave?” He held out his hands to Saylee and Key.

“You’re a real gentleman,” Saylee said. She couldn’t help giggling as he kissed their hands and led them out. Key stared, even though she had roughly the same reaction with extra blushing.

“Since when do you _giggle_ like that?” Key whispered to her as she followed Steven. “Not that I don’t blame you, but…”

“I have a weakness for powerful, good-looking trainers, leave me alone,” she muttered. “Manners are a very nice bonus.”

“I have to thank you for bringing this letter from my father,” Steven said, either not hearing or politely ignoring their whispered conversation. “Here, have this.” He handed over two slim, silver discs. “It’s Steel Wing. One of my favourites.”

“It’s perfect for Shikoba,” Saylee told Key. “It’ll deal with his weakness to rock-types. They don’t like steel at _all_.”

“Thank you!” Key said, grinning broadly. “Would’ve been handy against Roxanne, although Manami and Thomas really had that covered…”

“Are you two taking the gym challenge?” Steven asked them.

“I am,” Key volunteered, holding up her badge from Roxanne. “I’m here in Dewford for my second badge.”

“I’m not,” Saylee said, shaking her head. “I’m here for research.” She dug into her bag and pulled out the stones. “That reminds me. President Stone told me that you might be able to tell me what these are.” She held out the red and blue stones. Steven picked them up and peered at them. They seemed to glow all the brighter in the darkness, reflecting off of his eyes in an odd way that made them look brown.

“How very odd,” he murmured. “I see…”

“Do you know what they are?” Saylee asked. Steven stared at them for a moment longer and then handed them back, shaking his head.

“I’m afraid not,” Steven said. “I’ve never seen anything like them.” He looked ahead again, smiling as he spotted the light of the entrance to the cave. “Ah, here we are. I will have to take my leave of you out here.”

“Aww,” Key groaned, nudging Saylee, who was focused on putting away the stones. “Too bad.”

“Before I go... Can I ask you something about Kanto?” he asked Saylee, pulling her away from Key, who gave Saylee a thumbs-up.

“What is it?” Saylee asked, scowling at Key.

“Where did you get those stones?” he asked quietly.

“I took them from thugs and murderers who thought they could use them to get power,” Saylee replied, equally softly. “Why?”

“They’re not the only powerful things you took from the grasp of Team Rocket, are they?” Steven said, looking down at Saylee’s bag. “I know who you are, Sar Kanto. You fought across both continents and defeated a lot of people and lost a lot of Pokémon. I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to be away from the fighting.”

Saylee looked down. “Hoenn is peaceful... isn’t it?” she asked quietly.

Steven released his Metagross, Bozider. “I’m sorry,” he said, “but it won’t be for much longer. I have to go, Saylee. If you really want to avoid the fighting, I suggest that you do too.” With that, he reached out to his Metagross, waved to Key, and then vanished into the sky.

“He was nice,” Key commented lightly.

Saylee pinged her friend’s glasses. “Shut up,” she said. “I’ll have you know that I’m spoken for. Blue’s back home trying to keep order in the Indigo region. I’ve known him since we were kids.”

“Awww,” Key said with a grin. “So, um, hey, in the cave, he called you _Sar_ Saylee…”

“Oh, yeah.” Saylee opened the pocket of her bag and pulled out her dragon emblem. “Got knighted three years ago for beating pretty much all of Team Rocket and the Dragon Clan.”

Key’s eyes bugged out of her head. “So _when_ were you going to tell me that you’re secretly _awesome_?”

“It wasn’t particularly awesome at the time,” Saylee grumbled. “Several of my Pokémon died at the hands of Team Rocket and the Dragon Clan both… I mean, the prestige is cool and it comes with some neat perks, and the authority is pretty good too, but I don’t like what it cost me.” She pinned the badge back inside of her pocket.

“Oh… I’m sorry,” Key said, looking ashamed. “I didn’t mean to bring it up.”

“Don’t worry,” Saylee sighed. “It’s probably hard for me to have a conversation about my life that _doesn’t_ involve criminal psychopaths or dead Pokémon, as you may have noticed already.”

“Yeah, but that was just one random mugger,” Key insisted. “C’mon, wanna go hang out at the beach for a bit while we’re here? I can train later.”

“Yeah… sure,” Saylee said, glancing at the distant, vanishing dot of Steven and Bozider and wondering what the hell was going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saylee  
> Name: Makoto. Species: Makuhita. Nature: Lonely. Ability: Guts. 
> 
> Key  
> Name: Marcel. Species: Magikarp. Nature: Sassy. Ability: Swift Swim.  
> Name: Tanya. Species: Tentacool. Nature: Bold. Ability: Liquid Ooze.  
> Name: Galen. Species: Geodude. Nature: Sassy. Ability: Rock Head.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee:   
> Pokémon: 8   
> Deaths: 1
> 
> Key:   
> Pokémon: 11   
> Deaths: 1

“I’ve never seen a gym battle here before. How does it work?” Saylee asked, sitting down on the edge of the battlefield. It was marked out on the beach along a stretch of sand that was a little less than half under the shoreline. What time of day Brawly was challenged would affect the battlefield. “Any special rules?”

“Same as a regular battle,” Key explained. “Some gyms have special rules. I don’t think this one has any, aside from the battlefield being weird.”

“Nah, you just gotta hang loose!” Brawly said, striding past her to his side of the field. “Pimpin’ hair ornament, but a bit posh for this field!” He released his Machop, who flexed its muscles at Key.

“She’s not a hair ornament,” Key said, flicking her long blonde hair and the elaborate black-woven “ornament”, which unfurled into a large pair of Beautifly wings. Wanda floated elegantly over to the battlefield. “And she knows Gust!”

The gust from Wanda’s wings hit the Machop as it charged towards her, flinging him right across the battlefield until he ploughed into the sand. Brawly returned him and replaced him with a Meditite.

“Meditate!” Brawley ordered. The Meditite crossed its legs and raised its arms, floating above the sand.

“Gust again!” Key called with a grin. Wanda produced a second powerful blast that sent the Meditite splashing into the sea. After a few moments, it floated to the surface, unconscious, and Brawly returned it quickly.

“This gym battle stuff is pretty easy, isn’t it?” Wanda said proudly, raring to go as Brawly released his Makuhita.

“That thing looks bigger and tougher than the one that Saylee caught,” Key warned her Beautifly. “Slow it down with Stun Spore!”

 The Makuhita shuddered under the assault, but managed to force itself to move, charging at Wanda. “Alright!” Brawly yelled. “Now, Bulk It Up and get ready to—”

“Gust!” Key ordered again, starting to sound a bit bored with the move that had carried her throughout almost the entire gym. Makuhita was knocked right out and did not get back up.

“That was easy,” Saylee commented. “He only had low-level Pokémon.”

“Well, missy, part of the rules are that we have teams for different trainer levels,” Brawly said, jogging over and tossing Key’s badge to her. “One badge, so one badge’s worth of power. If this was her last badge, I’d be breakin’ out the big guns! For you, ya see...” He took a good look at Saylee’s badge collection and whistled. “I think I’d need Groudon.”

“Groudon...” Saylee said thoughtfully, clicking open her Pokédex and reading the notes she made. “Not sure you’d find it on a little island like this surrounded by ocean… would you?”

“It’s said to be the Pokémon that created land,” Key said. “My mom told me all the fairytales about them when I was a kid. Groudon made land and Kyogre made sea, but they couldn’t agree on what the world needed more of, so they fought. Tsunamis and volcanoes and the like. It was a disaster, so Rayquaza sent them to sleep and wrapped the sky over the world to finish it.” She shrugged. “Kind of a silly story when you really think about it. If there was no land, sea or sky, where _were_ the three of them before?”

“Well, that’s myths and fairytales for you,” Saylee said. “Sometimes they have a little bit of grounding in the truth, though. The Pokémon, at least, are sometimes real.” She snapped her Pokédex closed. “So, looks like your training this morning paid off.”

“Oh, did I show you?” Key said, excitedly grabbing Manami’s pokéball. “She evolved when I went back to train in the cave!”

“Oh, wow,” Saylee aside, appraising Manami’s new form as an Azumarill with interest. Manami winked at her. “They’re really very powerful, you know. Congratulations!”

“Thanks,” Manami said proudly. “Had a lot of fun swimming in the sea like this. We went fishing!”

“I wouldn’t bother. There’s nothing around here that you can fish for except for Tentacool,” Saylee said, rolling her eyes.

“I noticed,” Key said dryly. “I caught a Magikarp back in Petalburg, which I guess could be kinda cool, but you said it takes a lot of work to make it evolve and I already have Manami. These fishing rods that the man in the centre gave us are kinda rubbish, y’know. What were you up to, if not fishing?”

“Arranging a _very_ long-distance call,” Saylee sighed. The Professor had made some modifications to Saylee’s Pokédex to make it compatible with Hoenn technology, but it still didn’t always work properly, and she still couldn’t have any of her Pokémon sent. Chaz was threatening to fly all the way out on his own, but Teddy, who had evolved that morning, had promised on the honour of his flame that Saylee was looked after. Saylee had heard Chaz and Chip talking like this back in Johto, and the vow seemed to satisfy Chaz, which was what was important. “Mr Briney’s on his way back, so we’ll be on our way to Slateport soon.”

“By the way, how do you know _Steven Stone_?” Key said. “He was a big celebrity a few years ago when he became Champion, but then he left and nobody quite knows why.”

 _I feel like we’re going to find out soon_... Saylee thought, but instead said, “I met him back in Kanto about three years ago... he helped me solve a little dispute. Steven Stone’s famously nuts for rare rocks, isn’t he?”

“Well, yeah,” Key agreed. “Those, and his crazy-strong steel-types. Oh, man, if I’d taken the challenge years ago, I’d have had to _fight_ that Metagross...” She shivered.

“Powerful psychics, that line,” Saylee said, reading her Pokédex, “but steel. Very much steel. Steel-types are very tough, but I’ve never been frightened of them.” She snapped her Pokédex closed again, grinning. “I like playing with fire too much.”

{}

“What the hell kind of landing was that?” Saylee sputtered, spitting out sand. “I thought this was a famous dockyard? Why are we _crashing_ on the _beach_?!”

“Oh, them big fancy docks don’t like my little boat,” Mr Briney chortled, hopping down. Key pulled herself up and then fell over the edge of the boat, looking a little dazed. “Sorry ‘bout that, but I bet it woke ye up, eh? Now, I’m off to meet some old buddies o’ mine. Have fun, girls, and don’t hesitate to call on Mr Briney should you need me again!” He toddled off, Pecko sitting on his shoulder and singing old sea shanties. Saylee began smacking wet sand out of her hair.

“Eurgh... showers first, Captain Stern tomorrow?” Key suggested.

“Agreed,” Saylee said feverently. It was getting dark anyway, and since she had no idea where Captain Stern lived, catching him at work was probably a better bet. The docks would be closed already. The beach was almost empty aside from a group of people around a glowing barbeque pit.

When they reached the city proper, they found a bustling market which was lighting lanterns instead of closing. Some people were packing up and leaving stalls, but other stallholders were filling the spaces straight away with crates of produce and new stalls. Saylee filed that under “Check it out when I don’t look like a Sandshrew”. There was also a big sign pointing them to the Oceanic Museum, which apparently was having a big exhibit with water and soil samples from different regions; this didn’t sound vastly tempting to Saylee, but evidently it was exciting for a lot of tourists, because in the dim twilight Saylee could make out a large group of people massing in front of the museum, queuing for the opening in the morning.

{}

The Slateport docks were easy enough to find, but according to the sailors and construction workers, Stern was nowhere to be seen.

“He’ll be working at his office in the Museum,” one of them said, pointing them towards the Oceanic Museum. “You can go right on up, the work’s all public.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, heading back down towards the museum. “Geez. I hope these parts are important.”

“Yeah, then it’ll be worth wandering all over this city,” Key sighed.

“No, because then it means that they’re working on something major, and I want a look,” Saylee said.

Key gave her a shove. “You sound slightly evil when you talk like that, you know,” she pointed out. The queue outside of the museum was gone, but a look within showed it full of punters clustering in groups, examining the exhibits. For some reason, all of them were in hats and heavy coats.

 _Where are they from, the desert_? Saylee wondered, paying her entry fee and heading in. She nearly walked right into a guy who was moving past the water samples. “Oh, sorry.”

“Watch it...” the man began to snarl, but when he looked around he suddenly whimpered and curled up into a ball. The others stared at him.

“Hey, are you okay?” Saylee asked, reaching down to him. “Did I hurt you?” She grabbed his arm to try and pull him back upright, but she only managed to pull his sleeve back, revealing several raw, parallel scars on his forearm. Scars in the shape of a Torchic’s claws.

“Pl-please don’t hurt me!” The thief whimpered, cowering away. He was starting to draw looks from others, so Saylee jerked him to his feet. Under his heavy jacket, he was still wearing the striped shirt, and she could see the edge of his headscarf under his cap.

“Give me one good reason why not,” Saylee growled. “Why aren’t you in jail?”

“I’ll tell you,” he whimpered. “We’re here for Captain Stern. Please! I’m sorry! Please have this! I’m sorry!” He shoved something into her hands, and when she let go of him to take it, he ran off.

“What the hell was that?” Key said, watching him run. “What did he give you?”

“A TM,” Saylee said, turning it over in her hands. “Thief, appropriately enough.” She leaned over the display, beckoning to Key to do the same so that they could whisper. “They’re all wearing the same thing under their coats as him. Striped shirt, blue headscarf, and all of their trousers are the exact same shade of blue...”

In her peripheral vision, Key could see it, now that she was looking for it; the same shirts, visible under their coats, and flashes of blue whenever someone moved their hat or pushed up the brim, sweltering in the beach heat. They were all dressed the same as the thief.

“He’s not a lone nutjob,” Saylee murmured. “This is an organization. They’re going to pull something here with Captain Stern.”

“His office is upstairs, right?” Key said, glancing briefly at the stairs. “Let’s hurry!”

“Don’t run,” Saylee murmured. “They’re waiting for something. We don’t want to press them into working early. Let’s just casually work our way over via the exhibits. Stay calm, don’t stare at them, and look interested in soil and water.”

“You sound like you’ve done this before,” Key muttered as they both leaned in to examine a scale model of a cruise ship.

“This was what I was hoping to _avoid_ in Hoenn,” Saylee muttered, disgruntled. “Why is it always _me_ ….”

 _Was this what Steven was warning me about_? She thought, carefully earwigging a couple of mooks who were complaining about “the boss” not being around yet. _Does he know about these people? About what they’re planning? What_ are _they planning? Do they just want a ship? Or is Captain Stern building something else? Why doesn’t it ever go_ smooth _..._?

“What do you think’s upstairs?” Key said lightly, curiously, peering up the staircase. “Do you think we’re allowed to go up there?” A couple of the mooks glanced at them and then looked away, dismissing them as unimportant tourists.

Saylee smiled. “Well, it’s not like it’s blocked off, is it?” She suggested. “Let’s have a peek!” She headed up the stairs to the quieter upper offices. There was almost nobody up there; in fact, no actual, normal tourists seemed to be in the museum. The only person around was an older man in a labcoat and glasses, making some notes on a schematic. He glanced up when Saylee quietly shut the door behind her.

“Hello, girls,” he greeted them. “Can I help you?”

“Captain Stern, right?” Key said.

He nodded. “That is I,” he confirmed. “Are you looking for me?”

“We are,” Saylee said, “and so are a lot of people downstairs with likely sinister intentions. Is there another way out of here?”

“Another way out?” Captain Stern was looking alarmed. “What’s this about?”

“Nobody move! Hands in the air and no funny business!”

“Bloody hell, did they actually just say that?” Saylee said, turning to face the two men who had just burst through the office doors. They were dressed identically to the thief and had released a pair of angry-looking blue-and-red fish, which were propping themselves up on the office floor by their yellow fins and snarling at them. Saylee slipped her pokédex out of her pocket, showing that they were, as she expected, water-types. They were called Carvanha and were also dark-types with some nasty powers.

“Hand over the package,” one of them ordered Key, who was carrying it in her arms. “And you, Captain, you’re coming with us!”

“No, he’s not,” Saylee said, releasing Teddy. Key opted for Thomas. “Best to avoid direct contact as much as possible,” she added to Key, showing her the pokédex screen. “They’ve got Rough Skin. It damages on contact. Nasty stuff.”

“Absorb should work, right?” Key replied. “Heals as it hurts.”

“Only one way to find out,” Thomas said, grabbing one of the Carvanha as it leapt forward, snapping at his head. Thomas caught it easily in his hands, and though he winced in pain, a second later his hands glowed, his injuries healing as he drained Carvanha’s energy. The angry fish’s struggles slowly abated.

Meanwhile, the other kept leaping at Teddy, who repeatedly knocked it aside with powerful kicks. The Rough Skin was having a visible effect; Teddy only needed two kicks to take the fish down, but he winced, his feet developing raw patches where he’d made contact with Carvanha. One of the mooks released a Zubat, while the other made a bad attempt at sneaking around the battlefield towards Key and Saylee.

“Teddy, take out that Zubat,” Saylee said. “Ember’ll do it.” Teddy inhaled, igniting his flame glands, while Thomas leapt over his head and pinned the second mook to the wall.

“And what are _you_ up to, genius?” He said, wrapping one of his wrist-leaves around the man’s neck. Behind them, the Zubat fell in flames, and Teddy leapt over to knock down the lead mook. “Showoff.”

“You’re one to talk,” Teddy replied, standing on the man’s upper arms in order to pin him down. “So, Saylee, what do we do with them now?”

“Right, you two,” Saylee said, going up to the man pinned by Teddy. “Who are you, what do you want, and who’s in charge? Because _you’re_ clearly not the brains of the outfit.”

“That would be _me_.”

Saylee whipped around to see that a third man had appeared in the doorway. He dressed differently from the two thugs in a black suit with no shirt underneath, showing off a dark, well-built physique. The man had a short black beard and moustache, with his hair hidden under a blue bandana like the rest. He had his arms crossed and was scowling at Saylee, Key, and their captives, focusing on the latter.

"I came to see what was taking so long to snatch some parts,” he snarled, “and you simpletons are held up by a pair of _girls_?''

“Damn straight,” Key said, stepping up to stand by Saylee. “And we’re more than happy to kick your ass too, big boy.” The man turned his glare on her, but Key glared right back, staring him down.

He smirked. “You’ve got spunk!” He laughed. “I like that. I am Team Aqua's Archie.”

“Charmed, _not_ ,” Key snorted.

“So you’re in charge of this disaster?” Saylee asked, poking her captive in the head with her foot. “What do you want here?”

Archie looked down his nose at her. “What business is it of yours, foreigner?” he asked.

“I’m just trying to protect people,” Saylee snapped, “no matter where they are.”

“So why do you meddle in the noble affairs of Team Aqua?” Archie demanded. “Pokémon, people, all life depends on the sea. So, Team Aqua is dedicated to the expansion of the sea, for the benefit of all. Don't you agree? What we are doing is a magnificent undertaking!”

“I’m sorry, are you trying to make theft, assault and kidnapping sound like a _good_ thing?” Key said incredulously. “Not to mention _murder_.” Archie looked taken aback by their negative reactions.

“Ah, fine...” He sighed. “You're still too young. It can't be helped that you do not understand our ideals.” He straightened his suit. “But, if you ever oppose us again, there will be consequences! Heed my warning! Farewell!" With that overdramatic proclamation, he whipped a pair of flashbombs out of his suit and dropped them. Saylee and Key both threw up their hands to cover their eyes, and Teddy and Thomas both jerked back, dropping their prisoners. By the time the light faded, all three of them were gone.

“...What the _hell_ just happened?” Key wondered aloud.

“Bloody, bloody hell,” Saylee groaned, banging her head off of the wall. “It’s Team Rocket all over again. Only this time, the _boss_ is an idiot too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a little late… internet access is still erratic. Nevertheless… Team Aqua arrive! I confess, I like Archie’s old design much better than the new one, so there are very few aspects of the new design being incorporated into his description here.


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 8   
> Deaths: 1
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 11   
> Deaths: 1

“Okay, so who’s Team Rocket?” Key said as they sat in their room at the Pokémon Centre. “For that matter, who the hell is Team Aqua?”

“Team Rocket was a gang, an organization,” Saylee explained. “They controlled a lot of Kanto at one point and had a lot of shadow influence over Johto. They were cruel, bullying and terrorising people and enslaving Pokémon to sell, treating them like tools. They didn’t care if they killed people or Pokémon to get what they wanted. Among them were some of my Pokémon....”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Key said, slapping a hand over her mouth. “That’s awful…”

“They all died fighting to bring Team Rocket down,” Saylee said, taking off her glasses and focusing on cleaning them. “Which we did, in the end. The foot soldiers were greedy, stupid idiots, but the bosses were clever. It wasn’t easy. The important thing is that we destroyed them, the dead were avenged and that nobody else had to die.” She rubbed at her eyes briefly as she put her glasses back on. “The first couple of times I ran into them, it was stuff like this. Small ops with a few grunts invading somewhere to steal something, generally Pokémon. This stuff at the museum reminds me of them.”

“Oh... ceez.” Key juggled a few of her pokéballs idly. “So, these Team Aqua guys... Archie... what are they after? He was talking about expanding the sea...”

“Well, they’re more righteous than Team Rocket,” Saylee mused. “But their methods certainly aren’t. I’m worried about what he means by ‘expanding the sea’. Logically, the only way of doing that is by flooding landmass.”

Key dropped the three pokéballs she was juggling. “But... half of the towns in Hoenn are coastal,” she said weakly. “If you’re causing floods, coastal areas will be the first to go.” She shook her head. “How would they even do it, anyway? There aren’t any water-types powerful enough to _flood_ any of the cities...”

“I don’t know about that,” Saylee said, thinking distantly of Lugia, the bringer of terrible storms, and the young human boy in whom her vast power now rested. _This country is supposedly where Kyogre rests, too…_ “But they may not be planning to use Pokémon. I had a good look at the plans in the dockyard, and the plans that Captain Stern was looking over. They’re building a new type of ship, for going underwater and examining the seafloor. People used to just go down with Pokémon that could dive… non-Pokémon transportation’s become a pretty popular thing now that Pokémon can talk and more and more people are uncomfortable with using Pokémon for manual labour. Even if, y’know, the Pokémon don’t always mind.”

“An underwater ship?” Key said in surprise. “How could they use that to cause floods?”

“In Kanto, there are a series of undersea caves that you can enter from the Seafoam Islands,” Saylee said slowly. “When I explored them, I was warned not to use seismic attacks. If I caused an underwater cave-in, I was told, the equilibrium of the sea would be disturbed, like when the Cinnabar Volcano exploded. My own hometown is built at an inlet of the Kanto Sea, and when the volcano went off, it was flooded and had to be rebuilt almost from scratch. It’s underwater disturbances far out to sea that cause tidal waves and tsunamis…”

“Oh, no...” Key looked like she was going the throw up. “I mean, most of the coastal cities are built to withstand tsunamis. It’s not like they don’t happen, but the weather institute people can predict them and warn people. But stuff still gets destroyed and people die sometimes… If Team Aqua does that on _purpose_ …”

“But they didn’t get the parts, and Captain Stern is organizing serious security for the sub so that it doesn’t get stolen,” Saylee said, putting a hand on Key’s shoulder. “They’ll be caught soon. We got Archie’s name and face and gave it to the cops. And, seriously, it’s not like he was that bright. Especially not compared to Giovanni. Blurting out all his plans like that and then just retreating? These guys’ll be no trouble at all.”

She considered sending a message to Steven Stone about the attack, but decided against it. He had seemed well-meaning, but the fact of the matter was that his reasons for leaving the League and what he was doing now were unknown. _Perhaps he’s investigating Team Aqua—he did warn me that something was about to happen—but I can’t know that he isn’t also part of them. He warned me away, claiming to be concerned for me, but if he knew who I was and what I’ve done to Team Rocket, he could just as easily have wanted me out of the way. Then again… the ghosts in Lavender Town didn’t have a problem with him, so he can’t be a bad person. I just can’t shake the feeling there’s something_ off _about that guy._ Instead, after submitting a police report, she sent a letter to Blue, asking him to check in on Ethan. Archie probably didn’t know that they boy existed or what he was, but better to be safe than sorry.

 _With Team Rocket, the boss was living right next door,_ she remembered. _I don’t know jack about this Archie guy; he could be a front boss. I might be overthinking it because it wasn’t that complex an operation. But using seismic waves to flood cities does involve brains, which nobody in that museum was displaying. It might go higher than Archie. Until you know their plans for sure, be careful who you trust._

She was quite annoyed to realize how easily she slipped into guerrilla mode. Hadn’t she come to Hoenn to get _away_ from all of this?

{}

“....The hell is this?” Saylee said incredulously. The building was of wonky proportions and didn’t look like it should be physically capable of holding together. She had been having a strange enough day anyway, what with nightmares of Giovanni dressed as a pirate and riding a tidal wave in Mr Briney’s boat, followed by their lunch nearly being stolen by a couple of giggling Minun. Marth and Minnie had been fairly easy to catch; Saylee had felt that she could do with an electric-type on her team, having fond memories of Vick, Elric, Paul and Mary but all these two did was giggle, steal food and stare wide-eyed at flowers.

“It says it’s the Trick House on this sign,” Key said. “And it gives directions to the entrance...” she stared blankly at the door, which was all of four steps away. “Do you want to check it out?”

“Do you seriously want to?” Saylee said, rolling her eyes. “Might as well. It just looks like a bit of harmless fun.”

She felt watched from the second that she stepped into the front room. She couldn’t see anybody, and nobody responded when Key called out, but she felt watched anyway. “Polly,” she said, releasing her newly-evolved Mightyena, “can you smell anything?”

“What about you, Python?” said Key, doing likewise. The two had only evolved that morning, and spent a moment sniffing appreciatively at each other before splitting up to search the room.

“Oi!” Python suddenly barked, shoving aside a chair and diving under the table, before dragging out a portly, balding guy by his ugly multi-coloured shirt. “’Udda oo ooin’, aw?”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, silly,” Polly admonished, biting him playfully on the ear. He visibly blushed under his fur and dropped the man.

“You found me!” The man cried, bouncing to his feet. “You’re here to challenge my fantastic Trick House, yes? Yes, of course you are!”

“Ummm... I guess?” Key said, squeaking in alarm when the man grabbed each of them by the arm and dragging them over to a huge hanging scroll on the wall.

“Come on through, and I shall await you!” With a maniacal cackle, he flung the scroll aside and vanished down the passage behind it. Saylee and Key stared at each other for a long moment, while Polly and Python, already bored with human weirdness, went back to their flirtatious sniffing.

“...Let’s go,” Saylee sighed. “I’m going to get out Nina too, just in case.”

{}

 _I don’t even want to know how he managed to make trees grow out of tatami mats,_ Saylee thought. Zac and Leslie sliced the trees apart with ease, now that they too had evolved into slick and focused Linoone rather than ditzy Zigzagoon. Leslie still didn’t speak, but she now had some extremely intense glares. Nina was beginning to shed her outer skin, meaning that soon she would evolve, and Saylee wanted her to watch lots of battles to get pumped up. A few other trainers were wandering around the maze, challenging each other for “the passcode”, whatever that was.

“Is this the way out here?” Key said, finding another door with a keyboard on it. “There’s no doorknob.”

“Looks like this is what we need the passcode for,” Saylee said, turning around. “Remember the way here. We’d better backtrack and find the password.”

“At least we cut down most of those little trees,” Key said, lifting up a tatami mat with her toe and staring blankly at the bare wooden floor beneath. “Was he growing them out of the floorboards? Can you even do that?”

“I don’t even want to know,” Saylee said, rounding another corner. “Oh, well, have a look at this!”

Key followed her and stared. There was a scroll sitting on the ground in front of them, with “PASSWORD” written along the edge of it. Just sitting in the middle of the floor, plain as day.

“There it is!” Nina said, hopping off of Saylee’s shoulders. “I’ll get it, I’m getting bored of just sitting around...”

“Hold it!” Saylee said, diving forward in an attempt to grab the nimble bug. “I don’t trust that guy, it might be a—”

_TWHACK_

Saylee’s fingers were just inches from the tatami trap that had snapped together in front of the scroll. The writing on the underside of the mat said “ _Watch your step! Hahahaha!”_

{}

“I’ll hold him, you punch,” Key growled, vaulting the table and grabbing the owner of the Trick House by the back of his suit. The man cried out in confusion as she grabbed his arms. He was taller than her, but Key was tougher and extremely angry. Saylee could barely even see, she was so furious.

“What the _hell_ is this?” she snarled, slamming down the bloodstained tatami mat, which she’d ripped from the floor, in front of her. Polly and Python had been released and stood either side of her, snarling at the intimidated man. “You thought this was _funny_?”

“Well, it _is_ a joke,” the man giggled. Saylee slapped him. “Come on, it’s not that forceful. You just get your foot stuck. You didn’t even sprain your ankle, did you?”

“No, because _I_ didn’t step on it,” Saylee growled, leaning over the table. The Trick Master tried to lean back, but Key didn’t let him move. “My Nincada did. A twelve-pound bug with no exoskeleton. She was _crushed._ You stupid _bastard_!” She slapped him again, and then backhanded him. “Get out of here. _You’re_ a joke. Go! RUN!” Key let go, and the man fled. Saylee slumped, wrapping her arms around her legs and pressing her forehead into her knees. She felt Polly licking at her cheek.

“I’m sorry, Saylee,” she heard Key say. “That was... horrific. For a _prank_ , no less...”

Saylee shivered. She had never lost anyone over something so... _trivial_. _Am I letting my guard down too much? Over something this…_ frivolous _…_

“What’s this?” Key said, poking around under the table. Something rustled _._ “Sweets? Geez, what a creepy guy... sending kids into his maze and sitting at the end with sweets.”

Saylee looked up. Key tossed one to her and began unwrapping another. “Don’t eat that,” Saylee said, peering at the sweet in her hand. “It’s not for humans. This contains a concentrated growth steroid for Pokémon.”

“Ewwww!” Key yelled, dropping it. “Who _makes_ that?”

“It’s not even legal to make it,” Saylee said, pocketing the candy. “Come on.” She scooped up the small, soft lump that she’d wrapped in a towel. “We left the door open, so the other kids in there can get out. Let’s go bury her and go warn the police that there’s an illegal drug dealer out here.”

{}

When Key woke up the next morning, as dawn was breaking the sky, she saw that Saylee was already awake, reading her pokédex.

“Didn’t you sleep?” Key asked, reaching for her glasses.

Saylee shook her head, then yawned. “Felt too paranoid,” she admitted. “I don’t like this. What happened to Nina… it shouldn’t have happened. I should have been more careful.”

“Not to be rude to her or anything, but so should she,” Key said. “I mean, she ran off on her own…”

“There was no reason for her to assume that that trap would be there,” Saylee said. “She’s from the forest. She’s not used to buildings and what they should and shouldn’t look like, or how humans keep their things. _I_ saw that something was iffy about that scroll just lying out, _I_ should have stopped her…”

“That trap bein’ there weren’t your fault,” Teddy mumbled as he sat up, roused by the trainers arguing. Some of the other Pokémon were starting to blink awake, as well. There was a bright flash of colour as Wanda and William descended from the tree above them. “That man was one crazy human. Ain’t right in the head, if you ask me.”

“You should’ve let us gnaw on him a little,” Polly said as Python yawned, happening to show off extremely long fangs.

“Well, he’s getting arrested, anyway, ain’t he?” Thomas said, dangling out of the tree. “Serves him right. Weirdo.”

“It doesn’t bring Nina back, though,” William said sadly. “Without her, we never would have caught Winnie’s killer, would we? And now she’s dead too… If she’d been able to fly, the thing wouldn’t have got her, would it?”

Saylee turned her pokédex back to the screen about Nincada and clicked the link to her evolved form, Ninjask. “She was almost there,” she said dejectedly.

“Hey, if it’s anybody’s fault—aside from that crazy guy—it’s mine,” Key protested. “ _I_ was the one who wanted to check it out. I thought it was just, y’know… a game house. Like the kind of places you get in Mauville City.”

“That’s where we’re going next, isn’t it?” Saylee said, standing up and stretching. The path to Mauville was all uphill, and from a standing position she could see all the way down to Slateport. Two trainers, even earlier risers than them, were walking up the hill towards them.

“Yeah, but it’s still a couple of days away, so—hey, is that Seka?” Key said as she stood up, peering down the hill at the approaching women. “I think it is! SEKA! HEY!” She started waving and one of the women waved back.

The girl who was waving was brandishing a shovel. She was wearing a green jacket that was patterned to look like a cactus, dark blonde hair in a messy bun at the base of her neck, and a deep tan that made the pale claw scars on her arms stand out even more—old wounds from training something that really knew how to scratch. The other woman was very tall and somewhat paler, with dark brown hair tied up in a ponytail and a yellow kerchief around her neck. She pulled the kerchief off and used it to wipe some sweat off her forehead when she stopped to watch as the shorter woman ran up to Key and gave her a hug, sticking her shovel into the ground to keep it out of the way.

“Look at you!” Seka said happily. “I mean, I heard the gossip that you’d gotten some Pokémon, but I still never thought I’d _see_ it. Which ones are yours? Hey, is this the foreigner who swept you away? Is that why you’re going to Mauville? Casino wedding? Sounds awesome. Can I be Maid of Honour?”

“Shut up,” Key laughed. “Guys, this is Seka. She grew up in Petalburg, too. Seka, this is Saylee. She’s from Kanto and she’s awesome. That’s Thomas up in the tree there—he’s mine—and that Beautifly is Wanda, also mine, and…”

The other woman walked up to Saylee while Key was introducing the Pokémon. “Excuse me, but are you Sar Saylee Pryce?” she asked.

“I am,” Saylee said, shaking her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Are you from Petalburg too?”

“Oh, no, I’m actually from Johto,” the woman said. “My name’s Jenny Hawkshaw. My mother mentioned you visiting her lab several times.”

“Your mother… was she Professor Hawkshaw? At the Ruins of Alph?” Jenny nodded, her smile fading somewhat. “I’m so, so sorry for your loss. Your mother was an incredibly intelligent woman. She had more thoughts than time to speak them in sometimes.”

“She was very enthusiastic about her research, yes,” Jenny said with a little smile. “It’s still very painful, right now, but…” she looked up at the sky. Saylee pretended not to see her blinking back tears. “She was so lively. She’d hate it if I let my life shut down while I was mourning. I talked about taking a year out before starting at the police academy, to travel and train, so that’s what I’ll do. I just don’t feel like I have a head for studying right now, but travelling is relaxing. I just met Seka there down at the Slateport docks and she suggested we travel together for a while. Are you on holiday too?”

“Kind of,” Saylee said. “I’ve been sort of roped into being Key’s escort while she takes the gym challenge. I don’t really mind. Hoenn’s gorgeous, but it’s bloody hot, isn’t it?”

“They don’t make summers this hot back home, that’s for sure,” Jenny laughed.

“That’s a great idea!” Key burst out excitedly. “Guys! Are you up for a double battle?”

“ _Before_ breakfast?” Thomas grouched.

“Losing team makes breakfast,” Seka said. “You up for it, Jenny?”

“That sounds like fun,” Jenny agreed. “Hi, Key. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Key said. “C’mon, Saylee! You and me against Seka and Jenny for breakfast!”

“Promise you won’t _completely_ destroy us, Sar?” Jenny said ruefully.

“You can relax—I don’t have my ranger team out here with me yet,” Saylee said, gesturing to the Hoenn-native Pokémon that were marshalling for a fight. “We’ll only destroy you a little.”

“Them’s _fightin’_ words,” Seka declared, slinging her shovel over her shoulder. “Three on three! Let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seka is yet another cameo; Jenny isn’t. 
> 
>  
> 
> Saylee  
> Name: Iona. Species: Illumise. Nature: Quirky. Ability: Oblivious.   
> Name: Minnie. Species: Minun. Nature: Lax. Ability: Minus.   
> RIP Nina the Nincada, level 6-17.
> 
>  
> 
> Key  
> Name: Oriana. Species: Oddish. Nature: Brave. Ability: Chlorophyll.  
> Name: Marth. Species: Minun. Nature: Mild. Ability: Minus.


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 9   
> Deaths: 2
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 13   
> Deaths: 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a little late… would you believe they STILL haven’t installed our internet? On the plus side, it looks like calling the complaints line daily to file formal complaints might net us a cheaper rate as compensation, which is always good.

Saylee and Key returned all of their Pokémon and paced off a decent sized battlefield with Jenny and Seka.

“The rules that Seka and I agreed on are that each trainer gets three Pokémon and the battle ends when one team gets completely wiped out,” Key explained.

“Gives them the advantage, since they’ve seen all of our Pokémon,” Saylee muttered, running her fingers over her pokéballs as she decided which would be first.

“Well, maybe not,” Key said, picking her first. Saylee looked over the pokéball and then picked her own first. “They’ve only got three each.”

“Ready?” Jenny called. “Three, two, one—FIGHT!”

They all released their first Pokémon at the same time. As Saylee had guessed, Key had gone with Python, and she’d released Polly to go with him. Seka also released a Mightyena; comparing it to Polly and Python, Saylee guessed that it was male, though it had a different pattern of fur than both of them, longer and heavier on the black. Jenny groaned aloud as she realized, too late, that Kirlia was not the best first choice of Pokémon.

“Python, blind that other Mightyena with Sand-Attack!” Key commanded.

“Talyn, Howl those other Mightyena down!” Seka shouted.

“Polly, Bite that Kirlia!” Saylee ordered.

“Double Team, Rose!” Jenny yelled frantically. The Kirlia split into dozens of images, trying to confuse Polly, but with her keen sense of smell, Polly easily focused in on the right one and took her down. Meanwhile, Talyn and Python kicked up dirt and howled at each other, each trying to assert dominance. They started snapping at each other even before being ordered to Bite.

When Jenny returned her unconscious Kirlia, Saylee took the opening. “Polly, Bite Talyn!” she ordered. Python moved out of the way just in time as Polly leapt at the other male, fangs bared, and the two of them wrestled Talyn to the ground together.

“Jack, use Quick Attack to get one of them away!” Jenny called, releasing her next Pokémon, a Jolteon. Jack shot forwards to knock Python away, but Polly continued to savage Talyn until Seka returned him. “Now, Thunderbolt!”

“Oh, crap,” Saylee muttered as Python howled in pain. “That Jolteon is way stronger than all of our Pokémon. Polly, Sand Attack!”

Polly sprayed sand over Jack, nullifying his electricity, but Python was already out cold.

“Electricity, electricity… go, Leslie!” Key shouted, releasing her Linoone. “Mud Sport!” Leslie began spraying mud over Jack.

“Ew, ew, _ew_!” Jack yelped, trying to shake off the cloying mud. “Am I on my own out here?!”

“Ardenol, use Quick Attack!” Seka called, releasing a Sneasel. The lithe black Pokémon shot towards Leslie, knocking her aside and stopping her attack.

“Polly, Bite Jack now while he can’t use electricity!” Saylee called.

“Leslie, Quick Attack!” Key shouted.

“Quick Attack right back at her, Ardenol!” Seka ordered. Leslie and Ardenol became a black-and-white blur as Polly and Jack scrapped at each other. Polly was doing damage, but Jack was stronger and was able to tackle her to the ground even without his electricity before dashing off to aid Ardenol.

Saylee returned Polly and switched to Teddy. “Teddy, Double Kick that Sneasel!” she ordered.

“Got it!” Teddy called, leaping into the fray and knocking Ardenol to the ground with a pair of powerful kicks to his side. Leslie immediately reverted to spraying mud at Jack, keeping him at bay while Teddy knocked Ardenol out with a final kick.

“I’m down to Edge,” Seka said, returning Ardenol and replacing him with another bipedal Pokémon, this one taller and covered in bright red scars and shaggy white fur.

“Edge is a Zangoose,” Key said. “He’s a normal-type. Watch out for his claws!”

“Slash, Edge!” Seka ordered.

“Helping Hand, Jack!” Jenny immediately added.

“Dodge with Quick Attack!” Saylee ordered. Teddy narrowly avoided Edge’s wickedly sharp claws, rolling out of the way.

“Sand Attack, Leslie!” Key called. Leslie kicked up a screen of dust to cover Teddy’s escape.

“If Edge is a normal-type, then Double Kick should end him,” Saylee muttered. “That Jolteon will be easier to take down if we go two on one.”

“Okay, I’ll make you an opening,” Key replied. “Leslie, Mud Sport!”

Leslie stopped kicking up sand and starting spraying mud again, knocking gaps in the sand screen and briefly blinding Edge and Jack.

“Double Kick!” Saylee ordered quickly. Teddy leapt through and kicked Edge, knocking him backwards, slamming him into the ground with the second kick.

“Edge? Edge!” Seka shouted, giving up and returning him when he didn’t stir. “Dammit. I’m out.”

“Double Kick again!” Saylee ordered.

“Quick Attack!” Key added. Teddy and Leslie slammed into Jack from opposite sides, finally taking the Jolteon down.

“Good job, Jack,” Jenny said, returning her Jolteon.

“It’s all down to you and Sarah-Jane,” Seka sighed, planting her shovel in the ground and crossing her arms on top of it as she watched the battle.

“We’ve got this,” Jenny promised, releasing her third Pokémon.

“A Staraptor?” Saylee said in surprise. She’d seen one before, her granny’s, which was much older than Sarah-Jane. Sarah-Jane was smaller, but her feathers were a stark mix of black, white and grey rather than almost indistinguishable faded greys, and her beak and crest were both viciously sharp. She looked down her beak at Leslie and Teddy.

“This one is trouble,” Saylee muttered. “Teddy, use Rock Tomb!”

“Dodge and hit him with Aerial Ace!” Jenny ordered. Teddy started flinging rocks at Sarah-Jane, but the Staraptor was incredibly fast, and with the extra speed boost of Aerial Ace, she easily dodged the flying boulders and struck Teddy to the ground.

“She’s your strongest, huh?” Saylee said, quickly returning Teddy. He wasn’t quite down and out, but being half-fighting, there was little he could do against a flier.

“Of course I am, dear. I’ve been with Jenny the longest,” Sarah-Jane said, preening.

“Headbutt her, Leslie!” Key ordered. Leslie leapt as high as she could, but being land-bound, she couldn’t land a strike on Sarah-Jane, who just circled above her.

“Close Combat!” Jenny called. Sarah-Jane shot down to pummel Leslie with beak, wings and talons, landing dozens of powerful blows in seconds. “That’s enough!” Jenny called when Leslie was clearly unconscious. “You each have one left, right?”

“Seka, are you out already?” Sarah-Jane asked, circling over the battlefield. Seka flipped her the bird. “Tsk. Well, ladies?”

“Azumarills,” Saylee muttered. Key nodded and they released Molly and Manami.

“Get ‘em, SJ!” Seka called, waving her shovel.

“Double Team!” Jenny ordered. Molly and Manami were surrounded by a flock of circling Staraptor.

“Have Manami use Rollout,” Saylee whispered.

“She won’t be able to reach Sarah-Jane in the air like that!” Key argued.

“I have a plan, just do it!” Saylee hissed.

“Aerial Ace, Sarah-Jane!” Jenny ordered. All of the Staraptor struck Molly at once, making it impossible to tell which was the real one. Manami was knocked aside as Sarah-Jane targeted Molly.

“Rollout, Manami!” Key called. Manami curled and began to roll, starting out slow but steadily building up speed as she circled Molly.

“Molly, use Water Guns on the Staraptor!” Saylee ordered.

“I don’t know which one!” Molly called in distress.

“Don’t worry, just start hitting them and weed out the fakes!” Saylee replied. Molly started spraying water nervously at the various Staraptor, dispelling several illusions before splashing the real one.

“What was that meant to be, dear?” Sarah-Jane said patronizingly as she swooped for another attack.

“Now, Manami!” Key called. Just as Sarah-Jane struck Molly, Manami hit her from behind with a powerful Rollout. Sarah-Jane was knocked to the ground, screeching, and failed to get into the air again before a second strike flattened her.

“Molly!” Saylee called, running onto the field to check on her Azumarill just as Jenny did the same for her Staraptor. Sarah-Jane was unconscious, but so was Molly. “Good job,” Saylee sighed, returning Molly. “That Staraptor nearly destroyed us. You’ve had her for a while?”

“She was my first Pokémon,” Jenny said fondly, stroking Sarah-Jane’s beak tenderly before returning her. “It’s been an honour,” she added, fistbumping Saylee. “Well, since Key’s the last woman standing, I guess that means that Seka and I are in charge of breakfast, huh?”

{}

“We’d better head back down to Slateport to heal and feed our Pokémon,” Seka sighed as the women finished off their toast and the conscious Pokémon the handfuls of pokéblocks that Jenny had provided. “What about you guys?”

“Well, we still have six Pokémon between us, so we can probably make it to Mauville alright,” Key said, grinning at Seka. “There’s no _way_ I’m gonna let you get all eight badges before I do.”

“I’ve already got one more badge than you, so you better shape up,” Seka said, showing off the three badges that she’d stabbed into the handle of her shovel. When asked why she was carrying a shovel, she’d only mentioned that it “comes in handy”.

“I don’t even have one yet,” Jenny said ruefully, “but I’m planning to start with Mauville. We’ll see you there, maybe?”

“Good luck,” Saylee said, getting up. “Zac, William, are you done eating?”

“Can we go heal Leslie now?” Zac whined.

“We’d better go,” Key laughed. “See you guys in Mauville!”

“So what’s Mauville like?” Saylee asked as they started back up the slope after waving off Seka and Jenny.

“Oh, it’s cool! It’s full of game houses and casinos and cinemas and stuff,” Key said enthusiastically. “I haven’t been in a few years, but—oh, hey! I’m over sixteen now! I can totally go in the casinos! Have you ever been to a casino?”

“I spent some time in one in Celadon City,” Saylee said vaguely. “Can’t say I enjoyed it much.”

“Well, I’ve always wanted to win some of the stuffed animals, so we’re going anyway,” Key declared. “We need a play day to cheer ourselves up. C’mon!”

{}

“So, what is this place?” Thomas yawned, looking around the field. There was a sandbox, numerous trees and bushes, and a pond, with a number of young Pokémon playing and napping in the area.

“We’re havin’ us a day off,” Teddy explained. “This here’s a place for Pokémon to relax, your Key said. So y’all can sleep in a tree all day, if you want.”

“I’m with that plan,” Thomas said, leaping up into the nearest tree and making himself comfortable on a branch, careful not to drop his everstone necklace. “You’d better have a damn good reason for bugging me.”

“Ooooh, these flowers are _delicious_!” Wanda squealed, fluttering around some of the more colourful blooms. “Will, Will, you have _got_ to try these out!”

“Sounds good!” William said, beginning to fly after her before making the midair equivalent of a skid-turn. “Hey, who’s the new guy?”

“Blubber-butt there is replacing Nina on Saylee’s team,” Thomas called acidly without opening his eyes.

“His name’s _Makoto_ ,” Teddy reprimanded, indicating the young Makuhita standing by his side. “Makoto, the asshole up there’s Thomas. Them there’s Wanda and William. These here are Polly and Python, this here’s Zac and his sister Leslie, these ladies are Manami and Molly, and that there’s Shikoba.” The others all barked, growled or tweeted a greeting as they were introduced.

“Well... hi,” Makoto said, waving to them. “Nice to meet you all, I guess.” He looked up at Teddy. “I’m gonna go work out... I feel a bit underpowered compared to you guys. Umm, later...” He wandered off to a rock pile and began lifting small boulders.

“Something of a loner, is he not?” Shikoba commented. “If you will excuse me, birds of a feather...” he flapped over to the pond and preened at his reflection, before joining a couple of twittering female Taillow in another tree.

“You know, I’ve never talked to him much,” Zac commented, “but he’s pretty swish, isn’t he? Leslie agrees.” Leslie bit his tail. “What?! Come on, he _is_!” Leslie licked his face. “Fine, I’ll race you. Come on!” The two of them tore off to race around the compound.

“Do you want to go swimming, Manami?” Molly asked. “The pond looks pretty big.”

“I want to see how deep I can dive!” Manami said excitedly, dashing off towards the pool.

“Remember that you can’t dive deeper than your tail!” Molly called, following her.

“I think I’ll go an’ spar with Makoto,” Teddy said. “What’re y’all... never mind,” he said. Polly and Python were sniffing each other again, and Polly licked Python’s face, making him blush. “Have fun, y’all...”

He selected a rock and started playing keepie-uppie with it, exercising his powerful leg muscles. Makoto was lifting a small boulder in either hand. “So, why’d y’all decide to come along with Saylee?”

“The cave’s dark and boring,” Makoto said, beginning to juggle the boulders. “I want to train in other places. Saylee’s foreign, maybe she knows some exotic fighting styles.”

“She told me all ‘bout a Hitmonchan that she trained once,” Teddy said. “She’s trained a ton of Pokémon before, she said. I’d kinda like to meet some of ‘em sometime, myself.”

“Me too,” Makoto said, adding a third boulder to his juggling. “I think I would, too. I want to learn all of the fighting styles that I can.”

“Y’all wanna to spar with me?” Teddy asked, kicking the boulder aside.

“I’m for it,” Makoto agreed, throwing his boulders aside. “Bring it on.”

{}

“Isn’t the water _lovely_?” Molly sighed, idly floating. She flicked her tail, watching the buoyant blue ball on the end bounce off of the surface of the water. Hearing no response, she looked around. “Oh, where are you _now_?”

“Boo!” Manami yelled as she appeared from under the water, pushing Molly over. Molly sputtered as she rolled back up right, whacking Manami in the face with her tail. “C’mon, that was funny! Admit it!”

“That was _silly_ ,” Molly said. “Even evolved, you’re still a big child.”

“Life’s more fun that way!” Manami insisted. “I think I’m gonna go cool Shikoba’s jets. Want to come watch?”

“...Okay, that might be a little funny,” Molly admitted, glancing at the flock of admirers surrounding Shikoba on the other side of the pool. “Okay, go for it. Just watch out for your tail.”

{}

“What do you think they’re up to?” Zac whispered, keeping low as he peered out of the bushes at Polly and Python. They had been playing together for a while, chasing each other’s tails, and now Polly was grooming Python, licking his ears. Leslie just bit Zac again. “Ow! What was that for?”

Leslie grabbed his tail and tugged. “You really think we should leave them alone? Why?” Leslie flicked her tail insistently at the pair of Mightyena. Polly had leaned down and licked Python’s face again, growling something. Python had looked surprised, and then licked her face nervously. They nuzzled muzzles. “Oh, and they said they were just friends...”

Leslie dragged him off again. “Fine, fine,” Zac muttered. “I can see what’s happening. And they don’t have a clue...”

{}

“I always wanted to be a Beautifly,” Wanda said happily, sunning her wings lazily. “I saw them flying about in the sky and I thought: I want to be that pretty. I really do. And I did!”

“I thought they were pretty too,” William agreed. “They are, I mean, you’re really pretty too,” he added quickly. “But I didn’t want to be _pretty_. No offence, but I wanted to be _badass_.” He flew in a circle, eyes glowing. “How do I look?”

“Badass,” Wanda agreed. “I mean, you’ve got psychic powers and everything! That’s so _cool_!”

“You think so?” William said, sounding pleased. Wanda blew out her proboscis at him.

“Of course,” she said confidently, and then, more nervously, “do you... really think I’m pretty?”

“Of course,” William echoed, settling down to sun his own wings.

{}

“Have y’all been sleepin’ the _whole_ day?”

“So what?” Thomas said, not opening his eyes or shifting position at all, even when Teddy leapt up and stood on the end of the branch. “Do you want something?”

“Y’all really don’t wanna evolve?” Teddy asked. Thomas automatically flicked the everstone that we wore around his neck.

“Nope,” he said simply. “Next?”

“Well, it’s alright for you,” Teddy complained. “Y’all look cool every time. Look at me, though! I _need_ to evolve to stop lookin’ so _stupid._ ”

“At least you were cute when you were a Torchic,” Thomas teased. Teddy kicked him lightly. “C’mon, with that expert training you, you’ll be a Blaziken in no time. Lighten up.” He cracked an eye open. “Unless you’re scared she’s gonna get you killed first,” he added. Teddy kicked him properly this time, knocking him off of his branch. “Oi!”

“Neither of them was _her_ mistake,” Teddy said, scowling at his friend. “She’s only tryin’ t’do what’s right, and I like that. She beats herself up well enough ‘bout it, don’t you weigh in too.”

“Geez...” Thomas climbed up the trunk with his adhesive forelimbs. “Fine, I won’t take the piss out of her. You’re sure fond of her.”

“She’s a swell lady,” Teddy said, stealing Thomas’ spot and leaning back against the tree trunk. “I really respect her. And I’m sure worried ‘bout what these Aqua guys are up to. It can’t be anythin’ good.”

“I wouldn’t expect it to be,” Thomas said, picking a new branch to sleep on. “Now lemme finish my nap before the humans get back, okay?”

“Don’t bother, here they come,” Teddy said, pointing to where the path to the daycare centre was visible from the tree. The two human girls were walking along it, chatting to the young man who tended the eggs at the daycare centre. It cheered Teddy up to see both of them smiling and laughing. Clearly, they’d had a good day. Both of them were clutching armfuls of dolls, and Saylee had a couple of TMs in hand. It was good to see them cheered up. “C’mon,” he said, pushing himself out of the tree and landing solidly on the ground. “Let’s round up the others. Your Key’ll be wantin’ her gym badge tomorrow, ain’t she?”


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 9   
> Deaths: 2
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 13   
> Deaths: 1

“I made a couple of changes to my team,” Key said, logging off of the computer. “I’m taking in Marth and Galen instead of Wanda and Shikoba. Galen should be able to deal with most of the gym on his own, since it’s electric-type, right?” She held up the Geodude’s pokéball while pocketing the Minun’s.

“Yep,” Saylee agreed. “Good plan... although it looks like you’ll be the second challenger today,” she adding, spotting a man and a teenage boy arguing in front of the gym.

“I can do it!” the boy insisted. Saylee was shocked to realize that the boy was Wally, the ill-looking kid that they’d helped to catch a Ralts back in Petalburg. He spotted Saylee and Key at about the same time.

“Key! Saylee!” he yelled excitedly, waving at them before breaking off to cough.

“Look, you’re still ill,” the man insisted. “Come home, Wally.”

“No!” Wally insisted. “I’m much stronger now! Randall and I are going to challenge the gym!” He held up Randall’s pokéball defensively, and then turned to Saylee and Key. “Will one of you please have a battle with me so I can prove it to my foster father?”

“A battle?” Key said, looking taken aback.

Saylee stepped forwards. “I’ll fight you, Wally,” she offered. “Key’s got to keep herself fresh to take on the gym!” She released Makoto, opting to give Wally a bit of an advantage. She didn’t intend to lose, but she did want to make Wally look good in front of his new foster father. She felt bad for the kid. At least he was visibly in better health than he had been back in Petalburg, and she wouldn’t be surprised if the boy’s relationship with his Ralts was having an effect on him. His positive emotions would feed his Ralt’s power, and that in turn would positively affect his health.

“You’re on!” Wally released Randall. Makoto squared up to fight.

“Tackles only,” Saylee murmured to him. He nodded, charging Randall. He hit the little psychic hard, knocking him over.

“Double Team!” Wally yelled excitedly. “And then Confusion!”

Randall split into a dozen copies, circling Makoto. He charged one, but it was a fake; purple light flashed out from the rest and knocked him over.

“Makoto, triangulate the blow!” Saylee called. Makoto nodded, closing his eyes and standing very still for a moment, and then, without opening his eyes, whipped around and charged forwards. He hit Randall dead-on, knocking him to the ground. Wally yelled in sympathetic pain. Key whimpered, and Saylee returned Makoto.

“I’m sorry, Wally!” she called as he went a little wobbly on his feet and returned Randall. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah... yeah, that was fun!” Wally said, grinning brightly. “Thank you!”

“Come on, Wally,” his foster father said gently. “I know that you’re strong, but you need to go home and rest. You’ll get stronger, I know it.”

“Yeah! You had Saylee on the ropes there!” Key insisted.

Wally grinned all the brighter. “Well then... I guess I’ll go home,” he sighed, hugging Randall’s pokéball. “Come visit me in Verdanturf, alright?”

“You’re welcome anytime,” his foster father agreed. “It’s not far west of here.”

“We’ll come visit,” Key promised. “I’ll show you my new badge!”

Saylee watched the boy go, taking deep lungfuls of air as he clutched Randall’s pokéball. Both of them had gotten much stronger very quickly.

“Are you and Galen ready?” she asked Key.

“You bet we are,” Key said, stepping into the gym and facing down the electric gates fearlessly.

{}

It had been so sudden.

Galen had swept most of the gym, and soon Key was facing the gym leader, a jolly old man by the name of Wattson. Galen was outstanding as ever, and during the match one of the other trainers in the gym had challenged Saylee, insisting that she couldn’t be wandering around the gym if she wasn’t fighting. Wanting to see Key’s match, Saylee had agreed. Makoto’s Vital Throw was extremely powerful, and it had taken out a few electric-types in the past, so she figured it would be an easy battle. The sin of hubris...

Well, the other trainer had been at fault, too. He had charged up his Voltorb for too long. Saylee had tried to warn him that it was too much, that his Voltorb couldn’t take it, but it was too late.

A badge for Key, and a double funeral for Saylee to watch over. She was starting to get resigned to it. Even in Hoenn, there was no such thing as safety.

{}

“I am just an awful trainer,” Saylee muttered, pacing back and forth outside the door of the Pokémon Centre. Key glanced back through the glass doors, looking worried, but stayed at the counter, presumably booking rooms while Saylee made a call.

“ _For the love of—why are you saying that to yourself instead of the dumbass who got his own Voltorb killed because he’s got a puff of cotton wool for a brain and didn’t know when it was going to die?! That goddamn idiot better have his license revoked!_ ”

Somehow, Blue always managed to help her put things in perspective.

“I’ve lost three Pokémon since I got here, Blue,” Saylee said. “I let my guard down, and they paid for it. Hoenn was supposed to be safer than Kanto…”

“ _Just ‘cause a country isn’t running with thieving bastards and angry wild Pokémon that know how humans taste doesn’t mean it’s safe,_ ” Blue reminded her. “ _Careless dumbasses are just as dangerous. You_ know _that._ ”

“I shouldn’t have tried to pick up new Pokémon here,” Saylee sighed, rubbing her forehead. “If I could just get even one of my Pokémon through…”

“ _Y’know, I talked to Bill about that, and you’re not the only one not getting anything through,_ ” Blue said. “ _Jasmine went on a trip to Sinnoh to do the contests there and had to come back because her Pokémon couldn’t be transferred. Apparently she sent twelve million report messages, but none of the system admins heard a damn thing until she talked to Bill in person. When I went to him, he called up a bunch of his admin buddies and none of them had heard that you had a problem, either. They’re working on it._ ”

“Thank you, Blue,” Saylee sighed. “That’s both good to know and deeply suspicious.”

“ _What, that somebody doesn’t want you or Jasmine to be able to take your superpowerful Pokémon abroad with you? Really? Because I didn’t see anything suspicious about that at all,” Blue said dryly. “It’s gotta be a targeted virus, because it’s not hitting regular trainers—or Pokémon registered to regular trainers, anyway. I tried sending ‘em to your buddy Key and no dice. We’ll figure something out, don’t worry. The next inexperienced dumbass you trip over’ll get a faceful of Mary’s thunderpunch.”_

“Thanks, Blue,” Saylee said, smiling softly. “I just need to try and stay out of trouble until I can find where those stupid rocks came from so I can go home.”

“ _Did you just say that_ you _were gonna stay out of trouble?_ ” Blue said flatly. “ _Did those words come out of_ your _mouth? Funny, I didn’t know you were starting a comedy routine._ ”

“I’m hanging up, jerk,” Saylee threatened.

“ _Okay, not the time for dumb jokes, I get it,_ ” Blue said. “ _C’mon, your inability to let bullshit pass is one of the things I love about you. Just, y’know, stop blaming yourself for other people being dumbasses, okay? You don’t deserve to tear yourself up over this shit. You’re more yourself when you’re tearing up other people over this shit._ ”

“Love you too, jerk,” Saylee said. “How’s the hunt going, by the way? For Professor Hawkshaw’s killers?”

“ _Well, they sure as hell haven’t turned up in my jurisdiction, which is pissing me off because if they did I could just kick their asses and head on out to Hoenn. Did you hear about her Girafarig, though_?”

“I saw her with a Girafarig a couple of times, yeah,” Saylee said.

“ _Well, it got killed too_ ,” Blue sighed. “ _But y’know how they’ve got those secondary heads in the tail? This one lived for a little while longer. The Girafarig couldn’t be saved, but a police Kadabra got to her before the tail died and read its last memories._ ”

“They saw the culprits?” Saylee said.

“ _Well, not exactly. The eyes on the tail-head are mostly for intimidation, y’know? The thing mainly works on smell. Its eyesight kinda sucks. The image is really, really, super vague. Just splashes of colour, really, but I’ll send you a copy anyway, just in case._ ”

“Thanks,” Saylee said, wondering if Jenny knew about this development yet. “I met her daughter, Jenny. She’s taking on the Hoenn gym challenge.”

“ _Damn, that’s gotta be hard going, right after losing her mum like that,_ ” Blue said. “ _How’s she holding up_?”

“She’s grieving, but she’s determined to at least attempt the League challenge,” Saylee sighed. “She told her mother she would… I guess it’s comforting to her, to do what she thinks her mother would have wanted for her. She’s a pretty powerful trainer, too, so I think she can go far.”

“ _Good for her,_ ” Blue said. “ _Anyway, I’ll call you when Bill gets back to me, okay? And next time you get in trouble, be careful, moron. I love you._ ”

“Love you too, jerk,” Saylee said, hanging up. She gripped her pokégear tightly as she looked up with a sigh at the sinking sun. Neon lights were flashing on outside of all of the casinos, cinemas and game houses as the light fell.

“You okay?” Key asked, stepping out of the Pokémon Centre.

“Yeah… I’ll be alright,” Saylee said, pocketing her pokégear. “Do we have a room?”

“Well, the place is pretty busy, but we’ve got two beds in a dorm,” Key said, grabbing Saylee’s arm and tugging her off. “C’mon. There’s a now Grouzilla movie out, and we need some _fun_.”

{}

“So what’s Verdanturf like?” Saylee asked as they headed down the westward path the next morning. “Do you know?”

“It’s got the cleanest air in the country,” Key explained. “Something to do with the wind currents. A lot of people go there for health purposes. I’m not surprised that Wally got sent there. He didn’t use to be that sickly when he was a little kid, but he caught some kind of lung disease or something when everyone went on holiday a couple of years ago and it just didn’t go away. The air must be doing him some good...”

“That, and his friendship with Randall, I’m sure,” Saylee said, looking up at the dormant volcano looming over them. With the clear blue skies and wild Pokémon rustling the grass around them, it was easy to pretend that it was just a normal mountain. “Being with Pokémon changes us all for the better. I’m sure of it.”

“Glad you are,” Key said, brushing her hair out of the way as the wind blew it into her face. “As you can tell by the wind, we’re here!”

Verdanturf wasn’t large, but the houses were all brightly painted, and there were flowers everywhere. It looked like a cheerful little place. Saylee felt her gloomy spirits lifting a little just to look at it. The wonderfully clean air helped, too. There wasn’t such clean air anywhere in Kanto or Johto. She felt like she’d never breathed so deeply.

“I don’t actually know where Wally’s new foster family lives,” Key admitted. “We should ask around. Someone at the Pokémon Centre probably knows.”

“Good shout,” Saylee agreed, picking out the distinctive red top of the Pokémon Centre. The inside was just as brightly painted and florally decorated as the rest of the town, but was empty aside from the nurse behind the counter.

“They live on the road just south of here,” the nurse explained, directing them on a map. “They’ve got the big house in the middle, you can’t miss it. They might have gone up to the tunnel to see Wanda, though. She’s refused to leave until her boyfriend gets through.”

“The tunnel?” Saylee asked.

The nurse nodded. “They’re digging a tunnel through to Slateport!” she said excitedly. “But the noise of the machines upset the Pokémon... so Wanda’s boyfriend has been tunnelling through by hand, all on his own. It’s very impressive, isn’t it?”

“It really is,” Saylee agreed. “Where is the tunnel?”

“West of here, cut into the cliff wall,” the nurse said, pointing in the general direction.

“We might as well check it out first,” Key said. “I want to see this tunnel, too.”

They walked out of the Pokémon Centre and followed the path that the nurse had indicated towards the cliff face.

“That must be it,” Saylee said, indicating the carved hole in the cliff wall. It had been propped up with wooden rafters, and there was a faint breeze coming from it, indicating that it had other exits. “That’s pretty strong wind. Maybe he’s through already!”

Following the wind, they found that, while there was another exit, it merely came out to a glade nearby. They continued on down the tunnel until they found a tall young woman with short, dark hair standing by another rock wall, listening to the pounding sound from behind it. “You’re nearly there!” she called. “Can you hear me?”

They heard a faint, muffled call of assent. The woman’s boyfriend was very, very close.

“Wanda?” Saylee called.

“Yes?” the woman replied, looking around. “Who are you?”

“I’m Key, and this is Saylee,” Key introduced them. “We’re friends of Wally’s. We thought we’d come up and see how the tunnel is coming along.”

“Slowly but steadily,” Wanda said, running her hand down the rock wall. “He’ll get through soon, I know it. I’m going to wait here until he does.”

“There’s not that much left,” Saylee said, rapping the wall with her knuckles, and then paused with a thoughtful expression. “You know, I think we could smash through this wall. We were given Rock Smash back in Mauville, after all.”

“That guy was way too enthusiastic about breaking stuff,” Key muttered.

Saylee released Polly. “Well, sometimes it’s useful,” she said lightly. “Polly, Rock Smash, on my mark. OI! DIGGER!” She bellowed. “STAND BACK! WE’RE COMING THROUGH!”

The pounding on the wall stopped. Saylee signalled to Polly, who smashed into the rock wall, breaking through it. There really hadn’t been much left at all; it crumbled straight away, revealing a man in a builder’s uniform holding a shovel and hammer, coughing and waving dust away.

“Rusty!” Wanda yelled, flinging herself into his arms. He caught her and swung her around in a circle, both of them laughing and coughing.

“How about we get out into that famously clean air?” Key suggested, waving some of the dust away. Polly sneezed.

“Well done,” Saylee said, scratching her ears. “Very well done.”

“Thanks,” Polly said, licking her hand, before making a face at the dusty taste and bolting out of the tunnel.

{}

“...and that’s when I discovered that the reason that I hadn’t seen a single thug for the past five floors was because that _idiot_ had gone in ahead!” Saylee told them. “He was the one who’d knocked out the guard out front! He’d beaten up half the building so I wouldn’t have to!”

“Sounds scary,” Wanda gasped.

“Sounds _cool_!” Wally and Randall said in unison.

“Sounds sweet,” Key said, nudging Saylee. “So were you two boyfriend-girlfriend then?”

“Well, not _officially_...” Saylee said, twisting a lock of hair around her finger. “But it was fun, fighting together. It wasn’t like I was scared. Seriously, if you lock Carrie in a room with a hundred Rockets, it’ll only be a fair fight if you take her bone away from her.”

“I’m just relieved that there are no terrible criminals like that _here_ ,” Wanda’s father declared. Saylee and Key glanced at each other but opted not to bring up Team Aqua. Maybe they weren’t really that big.

“How can your boyfriend _stand_ being so far away from you?” Rusty wondered aloud, wrapping his arm around Wanda.

“We’ve both always been kinda loners,” Saylee replied. “We’ve been apart before. Doesn’t change the fact that we’re best friends, and it just makes us happier to see each other again, you know? Besides, we call every so often, and he keeps texting me dumb pictures.”

“When are you going back home?” Key asked. “You’ve never said.”

“Haven’t decided,” Saylee said with a shrug. “Whenever I find out what those rocks are about, I guess. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Hoenn. This place is gorgeous.”

“Where are you going next?” Wanda’s mother asked. “Are you headed north?”

“I guess,” Saylee said, shrugging again. “I’m bad at planning, to be honest. I make plans, and then life never sticks to them. I’ve just gotten into the habit of taking life as it comes.”

“A fair philosophy,” Wanda’s father commented.

“I need another badge before I can go back and challenge Dad,” Key sighed. “I don’t know where to get one.”

“You could go to Lavaridge,” Wally suggested. “I’ve been reading up on all of the gyms. If you go north, and go up Mt Chimney, then you can get to Lavaridge on the other side easy!”

“There’s a cable car run up the mountain, for tourists,” his foster father added. “You can be there in a couple of days.”

“I’m all for it,” Saylee said, standing up. “Thanks for lunch. Sorry to impose on you.”

“Not at all, you got Rusty through!” Wanda’s mother insisted. “I haven’t seen Wanda so happy in a good while.”

“And you looked after Wally,” Wanda’s father added. “You’re welcome here any time!”

“I’ll maybe see you at the Pokémon League, Key,” Wally said shyly. “I’m going to get stronger, I swear!”

“I’m counting on it,” Key said, giving him a fistbump. “ _Somebody’s_ gonna have to give me an actual challenge!”

“I’ll see you too, Saylee,” Wally said shyly. “Thank you again for fighting me earlier… I hope we meet again. I’m sure we will.”

“Me too,” Saylee said, shaking his hand and swinging her bag over her shoulder to leave. They returned their Pokémon, who had been eating and relaxing and enjoying the air outside, and started heading back to Mauville.

“Mt Chimney, then?” Saylee said to Key. “Why’s it called that, anyway?”

“Because it’s a dormant volcano,” Key said. “But it still smokes sometimes.” She pointed up at the mountain looming above them, and Saylee stiffened.” There are scientists working nearby that have promised that they can let us know if it’s gonna blow, so nobody pays any attention to the occasional bit of smoke and ash. Any volcanoes where you live?”

“There’s the Cinnabar volcano,” Saylee said. “It went off a few years ago. The island was uninhabited, for the most part, so there weren’t a _lot_ of casualties, but... there were also tidal waves and cave ins. It was a pretty big seismic event.”

“Ohh, okay,” Key said, nodding. “Just that?”

“Believe me, that was enough,” Saylee said with a shudder. “There’s a mountain range between Johto and Kanto, but none of them are volcanoes. The biggest one’s Mt Silver. We call it that because it’s so tall that it’s constantly snow-capped. Some people call it the Red Mountain, too.”

“That sounds ominous,” Key said. Saylee didn’t respond, merely opened her wallet and began counting through the contents.

“We’d better hit the Mauville market and get stocked up,” she said. “Wanda’s dad said it was a couple days’ trek to Mt Chimney.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saylee  
> RIP Makoto the Makuhita, level 9-21
> 
> Key  
> -
> 
> Ahh, Selfdestruct. It’s been a while since I’ve had cause to hate you (usually it’s your big brother Explosion that’s making my life a misery). Dishonour on you, dishonour on the programmer who made you, dishonour on his family, dishonour on his cow…
> 
> Sorry this is a day late. I was at my cousin’s wedding all day yesterday. Spending today trying to wrestle control of my higher brain functions back from my hangover.


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 10   
> Deaths: 2
> 
>  
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 14   
> Deaths: 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the German version, the leaders of Aqua and Magma are named Adrian and Marc, respectively. We agreed that we like Marc better than Maxie, so the Team Magma leader is known in this verse as Marc.

“Why is it you always catch the quiet ones and the ones I catch are always trouble?” Key complained, watching the Numel that she had just caught, Nathaniel, picking on Saylee’s Nadalia by trying to spit tiny wads of mud into the crater on her back.

“I have Zac,” Saylee pointed out.

“Fair enough,” Key admitted, returning Nathaniel and pressing the button that sent the pokéball into storage. “I don’t really need him on my team.”

“And I’ve already got Teddy,” Saylee said, returning Nadalia and sending her away likewise. “Well, if there are Numel around here, we must be at the base of the volcano. Now we just need to find a path up it.”

Directions from a Ranger working in the area brought them to a signposted footpath up the mountain. If Saylee had found Hoenn hot before, the air around the volcano was _sweltering_. She untied her headscarf and started flapping at her face with it, hoping that Key would take the rivers that she was sweating for her difficulty in handling the hot climate rather than fear. Despite Key’s repeated assurances that the volcano was dormant, it still frightened Saylee. _Is all this heat just from the sun, or…? No, Key mentioned that scientist are monitoring this place. They’d know if it was going to go off, and it’s not going to…_

She was seriously considering getting out Molly and asking her to produce a fine mist to cool her down when Key suddenly ran forwards.

“There’s the cable car!” she said, pointing to the station. “They’re air-conditioned! Come on!”

As they got closer to the station, however, they noticed that the doors were being blocked by a couple of men in red hoodies and black leggings.

“How are they not dead, dressed like that out here?” Saylee asked Key, before turning to the men. “Excuse me, can we get on the cable car?”

“Cable car’s closed, miss,” one man said gruffly. “Crater’s closed off. Go through the Fiery Path.”

“The crater’s closed?” Key complained. “Why?”

“Because it is,” the other man snarled. “Now get out of here!”

“No need for that,” Saylee huffed, turning and storming off. “What crawled up _his_ arse and died?”

“Maybe the crater’s unstable,” Key worried, looking up at the mountain. “I’m sure we’d have heard if it was going to go off... let’s get through this tunnel fast, okay?”

“Fine by me,” Saylee agreed feverently. “I can’t _wait_ to get off of this overheated lump and into a nice, cool shower...”

{}

“SHOWER, SHOWER, SHOWER!”

The Fallarbor Pokémon Centre seemed used to this, as the showers were clearly signposted and very near the front door. Saylee half considered just getting in fully dressed, as the ash saturated her clothes as well as her hair. She settled for grabbing a complimentary dressing gown with an eye to spending the evening in it.

“Oh good grief, the water’s running grey,” Key complained from the next shower stall. “It comes down so softly, you don’t realize how much you’re getting on you!”

“It’s the grass that’s a problem,” Saylee said, sluicing thick grey ash off of her legs. “Seriously, you can’t go _anywhere_ without kicking up a flurry. Eurgh, that was so manky!”

“I guess that’s why the air over Verdanturf is so clean,” Key opined. “It all ends up here. Blech...”

There was also a laundry service at a small fee, which Saylee figured was worth it because she had no idea how to get that much ash out of her clothes on her own. While the laundry was running and Key remained in the shower, fighting to get rid of every bit of ash that was caked into her long blonde hair, Saylee decided to look up a PC with an eye to withdrawing the Skarmory she’d caught while they were out among the ash. The only computer in the centre, however, was taken up by a young woman with messy brown hair, lopsided glasses and a haphazard stack of books and papers under one arm.

“Excuse me,” Saylee said, after half an hour of watching the woman type one-handedly at the computer, “but are you going to be much longer?”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” The woman gasped, so flustered that she dropped all of her papers. “Oh, _darn_ it...”

“Careful, butterfingers,” Saylee said, helping her pick up all of her papers, making a face at the mathematical equations and computer code scrawled across most of them. “Are you a scientist?”

“Yes, sort of,” the woman said, trying to straighten her glasses and only making them squint in the other direction. “My name is Lanette. I’m the system administrator for the Hoenn PC system. I designed and built it, too.”

“You’re the admin?” Saylee said in surprise. “My name’s Saylee. I’m a friend of Bill and Celio. Do you know them?”

“Celio? Oh, he’s the man I’ve been exchanging emails with in Kanto!” Lanette said, setting her papers aside. “He’s helping me fix some system bugs. Are you from Kanto too, Saylee?”

“Yep,” Saylee said. “By system bugs, you mean the one preventing people from sending their Pokémon abroad, right?”

“Yeah… I’m afraid that one’s been awfully difficult to pin down,” Lanette sighed, pushing her glasses up her nose. “I only just heard about it from Celio myself. I can’t say that any progress has been made. All I can say is that if your details have been affected, don’t try to send anything. If the system glitches mid-transport, your Pokémon could die, you know?”

Saylee shivered. “Okay… listen, can I give you my number?” she asked. “I’d just like to know as soon as humanly possible when the bug is fixed.”

“Sure thing,” Lanette said, offering Saylee a pen and the edge of one of her sheets of paper. Saylee wrote her name next to it, hoping that the somewhat scatterbrained-looking woman would remember that it was a phone number. “I’d better dash. Lots of work to do. Nice to meet you!”With that, she scooped up her work again and scurried off.

Saylee watched her go until she was sure that the woman would at least make it out of the Centre without dropping her things again. Then she logged onto the computer, which was running noticeably faster than most of the other Centre computers that she’d used, and withdrew her new Skarmory, Steele, whom she’d sent straight to the Centre due to the injuries that he’d sustained in their fight.

“We’ll take you out for a flight in the morning,” she promised Steele’s pokéball.

{}

“Awww, that feels nice,” Steele sighed as Saylee oiled his wings after breakfast.

“Try now, you should be able to get a lot more lift,” she said. He flapped his wings and flew in a wide circle around the town, landing only when he noticed that people were staring at him.

“You know a lot about Skarmory,” Key said, watching Saylee train her new acquisition.

“I caught a female named Sheska back in Kanto,” she said, tossing up rocks for Steele to Peck at. “She’s much livelier than this guy, though.” Steele ducked his head shyly and pecked another couple of stones into dust.

“It would be nice if you could bring your other Pokémon here,” Key opined. “I’d like to meet them. They must be really tough.”

“They’re survivors, all of them,” Saylee said, petting Steele. “Hmm… is something going on?” A number of worried-looking people had gathered, whispering, in front of the Pokémon Centre.

“They were talking about Professor Cozmo,” Steele said tentatively. “I heard them. They said that Team Magma took him away.”

“Team _Magma_?” Saylee asked, looking questioningly at Key, who shrugged. “There’s _two_ of them? Oh, this just gets better and better.”

“I’ve heard of Professor Cozmo,” Key said. “He’s famous for space research. He was involved with the Space Centre in Mossdeep at one time. They’re building a new space rocket at the moment, I hear.”

“So one criminal gang went after a guy building a submarine, and another went after a guy building a rocket...” Saylee muttered, before smacking herself on the forehead. “Bugger it. I’m going to have a look.”

“Hold on,” Key protested, “I thought you were trying to _avoid_ getting into danger?”

“Yeah, but this is how my life works, see,” Saylee sighed, returning Steele. “I’ll ask where they’ve gone, deliberately not go down that route, go somewhere else, and probably stumble into their Boss’ hideout and have to fight my way out, anyway. So I might as well just go deal with them now.” She went over to ask where Professor Cozmo had last been seen.

“Well, you’re sure as hell not going on your own!” Key called, grabbing her bag and following. “Two’s better than one, after all!”

{}

“So these are Meteor Falls?” Saylee whispered as they crept through the shining caves. “Wow... there’s moon dust everywhere. Just like Mt Moon back in Kanto, at least before it caved in.”

“It’s gorgeous,” Key breathed. “Weird place to bring a kidnapping victim, though...”

“That meteorite has immense scientific value! Give it back!”

“Sounds like our man,” Saylee said, running towards the sound of the yelling. She nearly tripped over a sudden precipice, saved only by Key grabbing her outflung arm and digging her heels in to pull her back. “Thanks!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Key said, releasing Manami. The men fighting below had noticed them. There was a middle-aged man in a labcoat, clearly Professor Cozmo, surrounded by several men in the same thick red hoodies as the “guards” preventing anyone from entering the Mt Chimney crater. Saylee suspected that the crater was just fine, but that the men below were aiming to change that.

“Who’s there?” One of the men yelled, releasing a Poochyena. Saylee let out Molly, who always made a good team with Manami. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“No need to fight, gents,” Saylee called down. “What seems to be the problem?”

“Stupid girls like you interfering with Team Magma— _that’s_ our problem!” The other man yelled, releasing his own Poochyena and ordering it to attack. Molly and Manami leapt forwards to fight, but before they could start the battle, the attacking Poochyena was taken down by a large, vicious Mightyena, who grabbed it by the tail and flung it into its compatriot to knock both of them out.

“Hold it right there, Team Magma! We, Team Aqua, won't allow you to get away with your misdeeds!"

“Team Aqua?” Saylee said incredulously, as three more men followed the Mightyena into the hollow with Professor Cozmo and Team Magma.

“ _Archie?”_ Key said in surprise, noting the burly Aqua leader when his Mightyena returned to his side. The Team Magma goons returned their Poochyena, stepping back from the attacking force.

“What the hell is going on?” Molly said in confusion. Manami just shrugged.

“You’re too late, Aqua scum!” one of the Magma thugs crowed. “Soon, our great plan will come to fruition! You cannot stop Marc!”

“C’mon,” the other muttered. “We need to get to Mt Chimney _now_!” He released a Numel.

“Get it now!” Saylee ordered. Molly fired a Water Gun on the Numel, but one of the Magma thugs moved to block it while Numel began blowing out thick smoke. It filled the cave in seconds.

“Wanda, we need Gust!” Key choked, releasing her Beautifly. Saylee followed suit with William, and the two of them blew away the black smoke clogging the air. By the time the cave was clear, however, the Magma men were gone.

“Dammit! Get after them, now!” Archie ordered his men. They saluted and ran past Saylee and Key, the direction that the Magma goons had apparently gone in. Archie strode after them, stopping when he reached Saylee and Key.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” he said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “From the Oceanic Museum.”

“Key and Saylee,” Key said, indicating herself and Saylee in turn. “And you’re Archie, leader of Team Aqua. You were showing off about that last time.”

“Indeed,” Archie said, looking a touch disgruntled at the “showing off” comment. “As the head of Team Aqua, I have dedicated myself to thwarting the dangerous plans of Team Magma.”

“Why?” Saylee demanded. “Who _are_ Team Magma?”

“Team Magma is a grave threat to us all,” Archie said. “They have committed many destructive acts in their bid to expand the land. We, Team Aqua, love the sea above all! Team Magma is our sworn enemy!"

“By ‘destructive acts’, you don’t include theft, assault and attempted kidnapping?” Key said acidly, stepping into his path and glowering directly at him. “Not to mention murder.” Archie frowned.

“Soon you will understand why our actions are necessary evils,” he insisted. “I must go after Team Magma. Key, you ought to keep an eye out for Team Magma, too. Farewell!”

He ran off, with his Mightyena leading the way out of the cave. Key stared after him while Saylee returned her Pokémon.

“I’m here too,” she called after Archie. “Rude guy.”

“I have _no_ idea what’s going on with that guy,” Key grumbled. “I mean, there’s no denying that he’s hot, but he’s clearly nuts.”

“So,” Saylee said nonchalantly. “Mt Chimney?”

“Yeah,” Key agreed. “Mt Chimney.”

“Excuse me,” Professor Cozmo called plaintively, climbing the slope towards them, “but what just happened? Where are those men going with my meteorite?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, just because the next section is so damn long XD
> 
>  
> 
> Saylee
> 
> Name: Nadalia. Species: Numel. Nature: Serious. Ability: Oblivious. 
> 
> Name: Steve. Species: Slugma. Nature: Modest. Ability: Magma Armour. 
> 
> Name: Steele. Species: Skarmory. Nature: Timid. Ability: Keen Eye. 
> 
> Name: Skye. Species: Swablu. Nature: Brave. Ability: Natural Cure.
> 
> Name: Sunny. Species: Solrock. Nature: Sassy. Ability: Levitate.
> 
>  
> 
> Key
> 
> Name: Nathaniel. Species: Numel. Nature: Naughty. Ability: Magma Armour.
> 
> Name: Tyson. Species: Torkoal. Nature: Naughty. Ability: White Smoke.
> 
> Name: Stanley. Species: Spinda. Nature: Sassy. Ability: Own Tempo.
> 
> Name: Shawn. Species: Swablu. Nature: Hasty. Ability: Natural Cure.
> 
> Name: Zephyr. Species: Zubat. Nature: Brave. Ability: Inner Focus.


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 14   
> Deaths: 2
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 18   
> Deaths: 1

Saylee had prepared to have to fight her way into the cable car, but the guards from before were gone. The cars were running, but the station was unmanned. She had to send William to pull open the door of a car before it reached them, so she and Key could jump inside when it drew level with the platform. Key sent Wanda to help, and once the two of them had opened it, Saylee returned William, while Wanda nestled in Key’s hair. The cable cars weren’t too fast-moving but were somewhat wobbly, so Saylee jumped in first and then pulled Key in after her, slamming the door shut behind them.

“You think this is going to go down like the Museum?” Key asked, sitting down on one of the padded benches.

“Possibly with more fighting,” Saylee said. “Maybe more like Silph Co—this Rocket-infested tower building I went through a few years ago. Just floor after floor of people to fight, only this time, unless he’s come out here without telling me, Blue won’t have taken out half the building first. Which I wouldn’t entirely put past him, but we’d better not count on it. I left a message on the answering machine of the nearest Ranger station, but I guess it’s not that well staffed.”

“Right.” Key selected Leslie and Manami’s pokéballs and released her Pokémon. “If we’re fighting in a volcano, I’ll definitely want Manami around.”

“Good shout,” Saylee agreed, releasing Molly. “Ready to go in?”

“I’ll watch your back,” Molly promised.

“Bring it on!” Manami cheered. Saylee let out Zac as well. He and Leslie growled at the door as they approached the top.

“Ready to go?” Zac said to Leslie. She nipped him affectionately on the ear, and as soon as the door opened, the two of them ran out to act as the vanguard. Molly and Manami immediately followed, Saylee and Key with them.

It was a melee. Aqua and Magma grunts were fighting everywhere. And _every damn one_ of them was using Poochyena.

“...okay, what, is a Poochyena standard-issue when you hand in your sanity card?” Zac asked incredulously. Leslie nudged him. “Shut up. They’re not even here.”

“Let’s just try and find that meteorite,” Saylee said, dodging around several fighting pairs and heading up the side of the crater.

“Look, there’s Archie!” Key shouted, pointing up to the rim of the crater. He was taking on three Magma thugs at once, his Mightyena fighting off three Poochyena. “Archie, what the hell’s going on?!”

“Grrr... I should’ve known you’d show up!” he shouted back as they climbed up the crater. “I want to stop that Marc, but I can’t! Not when I have my hands full here!” He pointed along the rim of the crater.

“Marc?” Key asked, climbing up the edge of the crater.

“Him, I’m guessing,” Saylee said, pointing at a figure that became apparent as they reached the rim. A tall man in a long red coat stood over some kind of machine situated on an outcrop over the crater—

“Hooooooooooooly—” Saylee breathed, throwing up a hand over her face to shield herself from the updraft from the seething, bubbling lava below. Wanda flapped her broad wings, fanning the boiling air away from Key’s face. The man in red didn’t seem to notice the heat, likely thanks to his thick goggles. He didn’t seem to notice them as he focused on carefully calibrating the machine to do whatever it did.

“Are you backup?” A half-conscious man nearby groaned. “One of those Aqua freaks nearly got up here... I managed to push him back down the slope, but he beat me...”

“We’re not backup,” Key spat at him. “We’re here to _stop_ you.”

The man frowned blearily at them. “You’re here to stop us?” He muttered. “Why... The Boss says our plan will make everyone happy, but then why do people keep getting in our way?”

“If you’re here to stop us, then I suppose that I can’t let you pass, can I?”

Another Magma grunt had appeared, but this one was also sporting a flowing black cape. He grinned cruelly at Key and Saylee. “Hehehe... you’re too late, anyway!” he laughed. “Marc is already activating the machine! And I won’t let you stop him!” He released a Numel, which immediately began breathing hot embers at them.

“Manami!” Key called, and Manami stepped forwards, shooting a jet of bubbles at the attacker. The embers fizzled out before they reached them. “Hit it again!”

“Take this!” Manami sprayed another Bubblebeam at the Numel, knocking it down.

“Saylee, go stop that guy!” Key yelled. “I’ll handle this guy!”

“No you don’t!” The enemy yelled, reaching out to grab Saylee as she dodged past, but Leslie headbutted him on the ankle, knocking him over.

“Marc!” Saylee yelled, releasing Teddy, who leapt right over the man’s head and landed on the console of the machine, snapping at Marc’s outstretched hand. He turned to face Saylee, his expression calm. He was older than Archie, probably in his forties, with a pale face and shoulder-length red hair. He wouldn’t look Saylee in the eye, instead seeming to glare over her head. “What are you up to?!”

Marc didn’t look like he was going to answer for a second, before Teddy snapped at him again. “Answer the lady’s question,” the Combusken said dangerously.

Marc sighed. "The power contained in the Meteorite...” he said, indicating the machine with a wave of his hand, inside of which the meteorite was visible, wired up to the machine. “By amplifying its power with this machine, Mt. Chimney's volcanic activity will instantly intensify... Its energy will grow deep inside the crater and... Fufufu..." His calm face finally slipped as he laughed, a deep, unhinged giggle as a dark smile cracked across his face.

“Or you hand it over now,” Saylee offered, “and don’t blow anything up. Not blowing things up sounds saner all around, doesn’t it?”

"Hmph,” Marc sniffed, glancing over her in a calculating fashion. “I heard Archie bemoaning a child who's been meddling with Team Aqua's affairs. It must be you he meant. Humph! So you're thinking of interfering with us, Team Magma?"

“No, I’m _planning_ on it,” Saylee corrected him. “And, listen, pal, I’m _twenty,_ so stop it with the _child_ crap. I’m not even wearing damn pigtails. Besides…” She pulled out her gleaming blue-and-gold Draconic pin. “Do you really want to be getting into this with a ranger of Kanto and a knight of the realm?”

" _You_ are a knight?” Marc said, looking unsettled, before drawing himself up to his full height (more than a foot taller than Saylee, damn him). “Long ago, living things used the land to live and grow. That is why land is all important! It is the cradle of all! That is why Team Magma is dedicated to the expansion of the land mass. It is for further advancement of humankind and Pokémon! And for that, we need the power of what sleeps within this mountain..." He gestured at the crater, which he’d been looking at for most of the speech instead of Saylee.

Saylee rolled her eyes. “Aye, _right_ ,” she growled. “Are we done with the sanctimonious speeches? Nothing you say will convince me that blowing up this mountain will be a fun plan, so unless you hand over the meteorite _right now_ , consider yourself _claimed_ , pal.”

"...No matter,” Marc sighed, releasing his Mightyena. “I'll teach you the consequences of meddling in our grand design! GET HER!"

“Bring it on! Double Kick!” Saylee ordered. Teddy leapt back over Marc’s head and struck down the Mightyena just as it leapt at Saylee. “Again! Take it down!”

“Stay down, boy,” Teddy said, knocking the opposing Mightyena into the air with one kick and smashing it back into the ground with the second. It whimpered and passed out.

“Cameron! I need you!” Marc called imperiously, releasing a Camerupt.

“Molly, this one’s on you!” Saylee said. “Teddy, get out of the way!” Teddy leapt back onto the console as Molly moved forwards, taking down Cameron with a Bubblebeam before Marc even got to give him any commands.

“Dammit! Croy!” he yelled, releasing a Zubat.

“Rock Tomb, Teddy!” Saylee called. Teddy leapt down from the machine, wrenching up a boulder and flinging it at Croy. Croy dodged the first one, but not the next two, and ended up pinned to the ground by his wings.

“What?!” Marc roared angrily. “I, Marc, was caught off guard?”

“Can’t say you weren’t warned,” Saylee said, putting her emblem away and stepping forwards. Zac wound around her ankles, snarling, and Molly began to stalk towards Marc. “ _Give. Me. The Meteorite._ ”

“...Enough,” Marc said, stepping away from the machine. “I will back off this time. But don’t think this is the last you’ve seen of Team Magma. Fufufu...” There it was again—that creepy, grating cackle. “Even without the Meteorite... if we obtain the Orb... Fufufu...”

“What are you—” Saylee began, stepping forward and grabbing his arm. Marc pushed her back, sending her stumbling towards the edge of the crater. She screamed in panic, and Teddy, Polly and Molly all dove to catch her. Marc ran past them, heading down towards the fighting.

“Kalle, we’re going! Move out!” he yelled.

“I’m fine,” Saylee muttered as she staggered away from the edge of the crater. She looked down to see the cloaked goon that Key had been fighting pull himself up from an apparently prone position and chase after his leader. Key must have beaten him, but where was _she_...

Saylee couldn’t help a slightly bemused smirk when she saw Key arguing with Archie, who had somehow failed to notice his self-professed mortal enemy running away. Saylee decided to give them a few minutes and turned to examine the machine’s console.

“Do you know how to turn it off?” Teddy asked.

Saylee nodded. “I’ll just use an old trick that Lance taught me,” she said, looking down at Zac. “It should work since Electrode aren’t involved this time. Cut it, will you?”

“On it,” Zac agreed, slashing into the machine with his long, sharp claws. The machine sparked a few times, gave a high-pitched whine, and then all of the lights blinked off, as well as a couple of the wires attached to the Meteorite. Saylee pulled the rest off and pocketed the Meteorite. It was quite small, and a little warm.

“Turns out he was going to set off the volcano to make more land,” Saylee said nonchalantly as she approached Key and Archie. “Which might have made something resembling sense in an ocean-island volcano like Cinnabar, but a landlocked volcano? In the middle of a populated area? Who dropped _him_ on his head when he was wee?”

“I clearly haven’t managed to beat his head in enough times,” Archie growled, clenching his fists, before turning back to Key. “Don’t you see? They have to be stopped, at all costs!”

"He's not the only one that needs stopping, from what I've seen so far," Key said, crossing her arms stubbornly. Wanda peered out of her hair and blew out her proboscis at him, reminding Saylee of a child blowing a raspberry. Archie looked crestfallen at his inability to convince her, slumping visibly.

“One day, you will see,” he said, turning and heading down the slope. “AQUA! We’re moving out! We’ve got to find that scum Marc!” With that, he dropped several smokebombs.

“Was that _really_ necessary?!” Saylee yelped, rubbing at her streaming eyes as Wanda blew the smoke away. As she’d suspected, Aqua and Magma both were gone by the time the smoke cleared.

“The cable car isn’t moving,” Key coughed. “I guess we should find a way out of here and go after them.”

“If we don’t find them, let’s at least find a town,” Saylee said, looking around for a way down from the crater. “The ranger response time in this country is really awful. Let’s hope they’re better trackers.”

{}

“Oh wow, this is gorgeous,” Saylee sighed, sinking into the hot spring “Gets all that sweat and ash off me from Mt Chimney. Ahhh...”

“I’ve heard of the Lavaridge springs before,” Key said, “and I’d heard they were lovely, but... _wow_.” She glanced at Saylee again. She’d been doing that about every ten seconds since they’d stripped off and changed into swimsuits.

“The burns, right?” Saylee said, looking down at her right shoulder where she could see the red flame shape that was the worst part of the rough pink burn that ran over her shoulder and upper arm and down her right side and back. “Go on, ask.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare!” Key said quickly. “It’s just that… I mean, I could see your shoulder was burned, but I couldn’t see most of it… y’know, when you’ve got a shirt or a jacket…” Now with permission, Key craned around to openly stare at how much of the burn was visible around the back band of Saylee’s swimming top. “Where did you get it? Why didn’t you have it removed?”

“Remember that volcano on Cinnabar that I told you about?” she said. Key winced. “I was kind of… there at the time… so was my Gyarados, Miranda, but she didn’t survive.” Saylee ran her hand over her shoulder, spreading hot water over the warped skin. “I’ve got a few scars that I’ve gotten when a friend of mine has died, and I can’t bring myself to just… wipe it away like that. I know you can, I just don’t feel like _I_ can.”

“I’m impressed that you not only _survived_ a volcanic eruption, but then actually managed to walk around Mt Chimney,” supplied a redheaded woman soaking near them. “And then to sit around soaking in the hot springs at the base! These are heated by the volcano, you know,” she added. “The water veins that run underground get heated by the magma. Fire’s amazingly powerful, it even gives us this lovely water!” She laughed, and Saylee laughed with her.

“Fire’s my favourite element, though,” Saylee said, dragging her hand through the hot water. “If I didn’t need a balanced team, I’d only catch fire Pokémon. My very first Pokémon was a Charmander.”

“A Charmander?” The woman said, looking confused, before snapping her fingers. “Wait, I heard of them! Those adorable little orange ones with the flaming tails, right? But I heard that they’re only found overseas, and that they’re extinct anyway.”

“Nearly,” Saylee sighed. “They used to be Kanto-native, but now I’m afraid they’re lab-native. I’m from Kanto myself, that’s how I got one.”

“You’re from _Kanto_? Seriously?” The woman gaped. “I didn’t think _anyone_ was from there.”

“Well, Saylee is!” Key said enthusiastically. “She knows _tons_ about Pokémon. She’s really helped me out in training my Pokémon. I’m Key,” she added. “I’m from Littleroot.”

“Nice to meet you both,” the woman said. “I’m Flannery. So what’s a Littleroot girl doing all the way out here with a foreigner? Are you two taking on gyms?”

“I am,” Key said, pointing to herself. “Got three already. I heard that Mr Moore was the gym leader here...”

“He was, but he retired recently,” Flannery said apologetically.

Key groaned. “Great,” she sighed, banging her head off of the rocky edge of the natural hot tub. “Who am I gonna get my fourth badge from now?”

“How ‘bout me?”

Saylee and Key both stared at Flannery as she stood up, hands on hips and a proud grin on her face. “You?” Key asked.

“Mr Moore’s my grandpa,” Flannery explained. “I’m Flannery Moore, and I just inherited the gym!”

“Really?” Key said. Flannery flushed under their stares, but recovered herself, pointing at Key. “Dare not underestimate me, though I have been Leader only a short time! With skills inherited from my grandfather, I shall, uh...demonstrate the hot moves we have honed on this land!”

She flushed again when Saylee clapped her little speech. “Where’s your gym?” Key asked.

“I’m a fire trainer,” Flannery said, “And our gym doubles as a sauna because of the heat inside! Just follow the signs to the sauna and we can have our match! Oooh, I’m all fired up now!” With that, she hopped out of the spring and dashed off.

“...What just happened?” Key asked Saylee.

Saylee giggled. “I think you just made your gym challenge,” she said. “You’ll do fine. I love fire-types, but the problem is that they’re very easy to douse with a little water. Manami should take this one on just fine.”

{}

The steam in the air thickened as Manami’s Water Gun hit Camerupt. Saylee fanned herself vigorously.

“Y’know, I heard Mr Moore designed this place after he travelled to a country in the north,” commented Danielle, a battle girl who was hanging around the gym with her Meditite and was currently lounging with Saylee and watching the battle. “Waaaaaay up north, where it’s all snow and mountains. He said that _there_ , they hang around in the sauna for ages, and then when they get too hot they go outside and roll around in the snow!”

“Doesn’t sound too bad right now,” Saylee commented, as Flannery’s Torkoal collapsed in a cloud of steam and smoke. “Is that her last one?”

“Yep, your friend has her badge,” Danielle said, giving her a thumbs-up. “Congrats! Are you two heading straight out?”

“Yeah,” Saylee said, standing up. “Key’s got four badges, so we’ve got a promise to keep.”

“Check it out!” Key said, running over and showing off the flame-shaped badge. “Right, we’d better return that meteorite, and then let’s head back to Petalburg so I can face Dad!”

“We’ll have to go back over the mountain,” Saylee sighed. “I’m not looking forward to going through Fiery Path _twice_...”

“Key? Is that you?”

“Sissi?” Key said in surprise. Just outside the gym, a young man that was covered from head to foot in sand was sitting on a heavy bicycle. He levered thick goggles off of his face and peered at Key. “What are _you_ doing here?”

“Followin’ migration patterns,” Sissi said, wiping sand off of his face. “You’re here for the gym, right? Hey, is this her? The lady Professor Birch was talking about?”

“I’m Saylee,” Saylee said, shaking his hand and then patting the sand off on her shorts. “Nice to meet you. _Why_ are you covered in sand?”

“Silyon,” the guy said. “Nice to meet you. And the migration went through the desert.”

“We couldn’t even get through before, with all of the sand in the air,” Key complained. “How did you manage it?”

Sissi swung his goggles around one finger. There was a breathing mask attached to the lower part of them. “I still got covered in sand, but at least I could see,” he explained.

“Oh, hey, my flight goggles are a bit like that,” Saylee said, digging her goggles out of her bag. They were somewhat cruder than the set that Sissi was proffering, but they too had a breathing mask attached. “The mask is for flying at high altitudes.”

“Gotta be freezing if you’re going high enough to need a mask,” Sissi opined.

“Not with my ride,” Saylee said with a grin.  

“Anyway, I’m just gonna ‘port back, so if you don’t have goggles, Key, you can borrow mine,” Sissi said, offering them to Key. “Just get them back to Professor Birch at some point, okay?”

“Thanks!” Key said, brushing the sand off of the goggles. “Got any cool sketches to show us? He’s a really good artist,” she added to Saylee. “He draws some amazing fieldwork of Pokémon.”

“Hey, I’m all work right now,” Sissi protested, holding up a notebook. “Look. All notes on migration patterns, see?”

“Like you haven’t sketched in there,” Key said, rolling her eyes. “C’mon, lemme see!”

“Hell no!” Sissi kicked off and cycled away at high speed. “Try not to die in the desert! It’d really piss off Norman! Later!”

“Thanks!” Key called. “Seriously, we’ll look him up on the internet or something later. I think he’s sold some paintings. He just gets embarrassed when people he _knows_ sees them.”

“Did he grow up in the orphanage too?” Saylee asked.

Key nodded. “He’s about five years older than me, so we weren’t that close, but we used to like watching him paint when I was a kid,” she said.

 “So, shall we?” Saylee asked, pulling on her goggles. “I’ve never seen a desert before. Well, a sandy one, anyway. Without a dangerous level of psi radiation.”

“...Kanto really isn’t a tourist spot, is it?” Key said, wiping the last of the sand off of Sissi’s goggles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Silyon/Sissi is another cameo and ultimately replaced May/Brendan’s role.


	13. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 14   
> Deaths: 2
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 18   
> Deaths: 1

“The Professor’s been really down,” the young woman who answered the door at Professor Cozmo’s lab said quietly as she let them inside. “It’s really hard to see him so sad.”

“We’ll cheer him up,” Key promised as they spotted the Professor sitting at a desk with his head in his hands.

“I can’t believe that I was conned into telling Team Magma where you can find meteorites...” he moaned. “That Meteorite from Meteor Falls... It’s never going to be mine now...”

“Professor Cozmo?” Saylee said, pulling the meteorite out of her bag and tapping him on the shoulder with it. He jerked up, staring blearily at her, and then jumped out of his seat when he spotted the Meteorite.

“Oh!” He cried. “Hah?! That item... Could it be? Is it the Meteorite that Team Magma took from Meteor Falls?”

“Indeed it is,” Saylee said, balancing it on her hand. “We got it back from Mt Chimney.”

“Please, may I have it?” he begged. “I’m not asking for it for free. How about in exchange for this TM?” He pulled open a drawer and offered Saylee a bright white disc.

“Hey, we were just gonna give it back anyway, but thanks,” Key said, leaning over and taking the TM from him. The Professor ignored her, taking the Meteorite from Saylee and hugging it.

“Oh, I can’t believe it,” he sang happily. “This is really, really great! This is really going to help my research!” He danced off to examine the Meteorite.

“Thanks,” the assistant said as Saylee and Key left again. “It’s nice to see him so happy.”

“No problem,” Saylee said. “Hey, the Professor… is he big on rare stones?”

“Well, not stones of this earth, I’m afraid,” the assistant laughed. “If you have any other extraterrestrial objects, he could tell you anything about them, but show him a pebble off the road and I’m afraid it’s nothing to him…”

“Ah… well, thanks!” Saylee said, waving as they left. “Glad to see the Professor’s cheered up!”

“You should give him a kiss, make him even happier,” Key teased. The woman blushed bright red and slammed the door behind them. Key giggled. Saylee tried to stay stern, but then she caught Key’s gaze and couldn’t stop laughing. Both of them just leaned against the wall, their laughter feeding on each other until they were both bent double, clutching their guts with laughter.

“Why was that so funny?” Key gasped as she pulled herself back upright.

“Damned if I know,” Saylee laughed, “but I can’t even remember the last time I laughed like that. Oh, wow...”

“Really...” Key said, looking a little sad. “So, hey… those stones you keep asking about. Where did you get them? What’s the big deal?”

“C’mon,” Saylee said, opening her pokégear map. “Let’s make for the desert. I’ll tell you a bit about it on the way…”

{}

The perpetual sandstorm stung at their exposed arms and legs and whipped their hair into an uncontrollable frenzy, until Saylee stopped in the lee of a cliff to tie up her headscarf as a hairnet and Key released Wanda, who happily wound herself up in the hair and shielded Key’s head from the sand with her wide, vibrant wings. There was no way to find direction in the stinging sand, at least until Key caught a Trapinch named Topaz who was happy to guide them southwards. Topaz was a gentle, happy soul, who led them into a tower in the desert when it began to grow dark. The desert would be freezing at night, and they didn’t want to be caught out.

“We’re lucky it’s here,” Topaz said as they helped Teddy build a small fire. “It isn’t always.”

“What do you mean, it isn’t always here?” Saylee asked.

Topaz shyly snuggled into Key’s side. “Well, sometimes it’s here,” she said, “and sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes there’s just sand.”

“That’s odd,” Saylee said thoughtfully, looking around. “I wonder what it’s for?”

“Y’know, I don’t feel like sleeping yet,” Key opined. “Do you want to go have a look around?”

“I’m game,” Saylee agreed, getting up. “The fire’s burning pretty well on its own, so we can come back to camp when we want to.”

“Alright, then!” Key said, getting out a flashlight. The pair of them, along with Topaz, Teddy and Wanda, began to look around the crumbling tower. They walked a loop around the outer walls, Saylee and Key shining their flashlights and Teddy waving some fire around to get a good look. Saylee tentatively ran her fingers over the rough walls. There were some faint indentations, the remnants of old carvings, but they were too worn by sand and time to decipher anything.

Aside from drifts of sand and their campfire, the circular hall was empty. An upward sloping dune got them onto the remains of a staircase which, after some very careful prodding from Wanda to make sure that they were steady, took them up to another floor. It was a little smaller than the floor below, but just as empty, with more wall carvings that were worn to almost nothing. There were holes in the walls in some places, with sand blowing in from the sandstorm outside and grinding at the walls and floor. Parts of the floor crumbled to sand at a touch, so Saylee released Steele just in case and began carefully toeing her way across the floor, jumping over some suspicious patches, one hand holding onto the ankle of her Skarmory as he flapped his wings and hovered next to her, seeming deceptively light in the air.

“Check this out!” Key said, waving her flashlight at a podium in the middle of the floor. Clambering up to it, they found two small drifts of sand. Saylee kicked at one and swore when her toe struck something hard under the sand.

“Have a look at this,” Saylee said, brushing the sand away and uncovering a small rock with a root pattern on it. “Oh wow, I think it’s a fossil!”

“There’s one here, too!” Key said, brushing the sand off of a second fossil. “Wow, are these valuable?”

“Extremely,” Saylee said, tracing her fingers over the root pattern, “and more importantly, ancient Pokémon can be revived if DNA is preserved in these fossils...”

“Sweet!” Key breathed, picking up her fossil. Saylee picked up the root-patterned fossil, turning it over to examine the backside. Something _slithered._

A second later, the ground fell out from under her feet.

“KEY!” Saylee screamed as the ground collapsed under her. She could hear her friend screaming, but it was drowned out by an ominous rumbling, and suddenly many heavy objects were falling all around her. She felt Steele’s claws grabbing for her, Teddy’s feathery grip slipping past her hand, and then she slammed hard into the ground and darkness enclosed her.

{}

Saylee drifted awake, blinking a few times in an attempt to clear her muzzy head. She blinked a few more, trying to decide if she was finally blind or if it was just dark. She turned her head, finally hitting on a vague source of light, filtering down from a crack above her. Crack? In what...?

“Saylee, are you awake?” she heard Teddy say. “Saylee?”

“It’s me,” Saylee mumbled, trying to pick herself up but being unable to move as something solid pressed her down. She coughed and choked as she somehow breathed sand by accident. “Teddy? What’s…?”

“Don’t move,” she heard Steele caution. “We’ve got ourselves propped up here, but try not to move and dislodge anything until we can figure out a way out.”

“I’ve tried kicking out, but I can’t move safely without bringing half the stones down on us first,” Teddy said apologetically. Saylee looked over at him, but in the dark and without her glasses couldn’t differentiate him very well from the sand and sandstone around them. She figured that he was probably propping up the boulders above them with his powerful legs.

“I hope Key’s alright,” Saylee mumbled, fumbling for her Pokénav. Thankfully, her bag was still intact, but the Pokénav got no signal at all. “Fat lot of good you are.” She repeatedly tried to get a signal but couldn’t connect to anything. Something must have heard the frantic beeping, however, because something _crunched_ above them and a boulder shifted.

“I found you!” a voice called breathlessly. Light broke in, and squinting through it Saylee saw a large round silhouette block it out.

“Topaz, right?” she heard Teddy call. “Topaz! Is everything alright?”

“Saylee, you have to come quickly!” Topaz said, chewing away more of the stone, enough for Teddy and Steele to both push up and free them. The sun was low in the sky; Saylee hoped that it was sunrise. She was worried enough by the prospect that she’d been out all night. At least the days were long and the nights short in Hoenn. “You have to help!”

“Is Key alright?” Saylee asked, sitting up and allowing Teddy to pull her to her feet—suddenly, he was taller than her, discernible as a deep red shadow in the swirling yellow and brown. Saylee swayed on her feet, the world spinning slightly, but shook it off, worried for her friend.

“She’s not hurt too bad, she fell into a sandbank, but... Wanda... You have to come help!”

Saylee threw a hand up over her face as sand stung into her eyes. She felt something leathery touch her arm, and she grabbed her goggles, pulling them over her face. They felt odd, not propped up by her glasses, and it blinkered her vision, but she could see vaguely through the swirling sand, and looking around she caught a blob of dark colour among all of the yellow. She stumbled towards it, supported by Steele and Teddy.

Drawing close, she could make out a kneeling figure. She reached out and felt a boulder, and below it, a splash of vivid colour was visible. She didn’t need to see more details—the colours alone were enough to recognize a Beautifly’s wing.

_The Onix’s stone tail slammed down, the terrible splat, only a wing peeking out from under the unforgiving stone—_

“Saylee!” she heard Key sob, grabbing her hand. “You—you’ve got to help her! We can help her, can’t we? Please... please say we can help her...”

“I’m sorry,” Saylee said, kneeling down next to her and feeling the stone, stroked a gentle hand over the limp and unresponsive wing, and put her arm around Key’s shaking shoulders. “I’m so, so sorry...”

{}

They made the trek out of the desert, led by Topaz, in complete silence. The Pokémon Centre nurse was very sympathetic, promising to make arrangements to see to the proper disposal of Wanda’s remains and giving them a four-bed dorm room all to themselves.

“My first two losses were bugs,” Saylee said, being driven insane by the silence. The nurse was also seeing to getting her glasses repaired, and until they were repaired she was depending on her senses of hearing and touch. Being without her glasses always made her essentially blind, so silence unnerved her greatly. Besides, though her eyes could not perceive the world clearly on their own, her memory could distinctly see the death of Cal, over and over, far too similar to Wanda’s demise.

“...your first two?” Key asked. Saylee nodded.

“Wilma was a Kakuna,” she said, “like a Silcoon, a bit. She was killed by a wild Rattata. It bit clean through her shell and killed her. My second loss was Cal, who was a Butterfree. They’re very similar to Beautifly, just a bit larger. He... he died in a similar fashion, too. He was killed when he was crushed by a rock-type. They were some of the first Pokémon that I ever caught, and it was so hard to lose them...”

“I’m sorry,” Key said quietly. “I know you’d lost Pokémon before...”

“It was a long time ago,” Saylee said, “but I still remember it clearly. I just want you to know that I know exactly how much it hurts, your first loss... so suddenly...”

“It’s... not my first loss,” Key said. Saylee’s eyes flashed open involuntarily there as she tried to read Key’s face, but then she acknowledged that she couldn’t actually see Key’s expression and closed them again. “It was a long time ago, too, when I was a kid. His name was Raphael.”

“Can you tell me about him?” Saylee asked. She heard Key sigh, and thought for a moment that the younger girl wasn’t going to say anything more, but then Key started in on her story.

{}

_"Zigzagoon, Zigzagoon~" the little girl chanted as she skipped down the path. She giggled as she proudly clutched her new prized possession in her hand. Saving up for a pokéball had demanded a lot of patience, but now she could finally wander out and prove to her father that she could very well do things on her own. He kept telling her how dangerous it was out there, but if the Pokémon at the Gym weren't mean, how could Pokémon outside be any worse?_

_"You look happy."_

_The girl skidded to a halt and turned to see who had talked. A little white figure—only slightly smaller than her—was standing a couple feet away from her. She couldn't see the eyes because of the blue helm, but the smile was kind. She grinned back._

_"Yeah! I finally got to buy my own Pokéball," she explained, holding out her recently acquired item. "I want to show Daddy that I can have Pokémon too."_

_"He doesn't let you have any?" the little one said. He sounded like a little boy, but he definitely wasn’t human, so he had to be a Pokémon._

_"My Daddy gave all of my friends Pokémon," she sighed, "and Daddy said he’d give me one too when I turn ten. But I want a Pokémon NOW!”_

_"So what kind of Pokémon are you looking for?" the white boy looked like he was curious, asking all these questions, so she sat down._

_"I really want a Wurmple, but all the girls hate bugs, and the boys keep saying that Bug Pokémon don't live long..." Key mumbled, doodling in the dirt with her toe._

_"Why do you worry about what they think of your Pokémon?” the little white boy said. “If you want a Wurmple, you can get a Wurmple. It's your friend, not theirs. That's why you didn't want one of your Daddy's Zigzagoon, right?"_

_"...Wow, I never thought of it like that. You're really smart!" she beamed. "And you look glittery...is that because of the sun? Or..." she suddenly gasped, "are you an angel?"_

_The white boy burst out laughing._

_"No, I'm not an angel. I'm a Ralts."_

_"A Ralts?" she repeated, tilting her head. "Are all Ralts pretty like you?"_

_"I'm...different," he replied hesitantly. "I try to think I'm special, but most call me weird...in a bad way."_

_"Why? You're really nice...and cute!" she added, making him blush. "What's your name?"_

_"My name's Raphael," he answered, fidgeting slightly. Was it because she said he was cute? "And you're...Key, right?"_

_"How did you know?" she gasped._

_"I can read minds," he smiled. "It's one of my powers. And I can talk to you in your mind, too."_

_"That's so cool!” Key giggled. “Can you really?"_

_"Ralts are psychic Pokémon, so we can all do it." This time she heard his voice in her head, and his lips didn't move. She beamed._

_"...Hey, um...Key?" he started, fidgeting and blushing a little again. "Do you...um...do you think we can be...you know...um...friends?"_

_"Duh! We're already friends!" she grinned. This time it was Raphael's turn to beam at her._

_Key quickly stood and ran over to sweep up Raphael in a giddy hug, when at the very same instant a loud bark erupted from the tall grass behind them. Key squeaked and jumped, and held Raphael as she watched an angry-looking Poochyena bounce out._

_Raphael loudly growled at it, but it was only enough to make the Poochyena falter for a few seconds before it responded with a howl. Key started to shiver._

_"Poochyena are immune to Psychic moves, I can't do anything against it! Run!!"_

_She didn't need to be told twice and immediately broke into the fastest run she could, practically squashing poor Raphael in her arms. But every time she looked back, the Poochyena kept getting closer. It was faster than them. It was going to catch up to them before she could reach the town._

_She tripped and fell to the ground. The Poochyena pounced, she clutched Raphael tighter, she screamed—_

_Instead of feeling a weight on her back and pain in her body, there was an angry roar and a swatting sound, followed by a loud yelp and rustling grass. Key slowly opened an eye and sat up._

_Only to find a towering figure staring down at her, hands on waist, clearly VERY unhappy. Behind him, one of his Vigoroth chased the Poochyena away._

_"How many times have I told you not to wander out here on your own?!" her father scolded. "What if I hadn't come out to find you? What do you think that Poochyena would have done to you, tell me?"_

_Key stared up at him, still shaking. She didn't have the courage to answer and soon enough couldn't help but break down into massive tears and clutch Raphael against her chest, the small Psychic quietly gripping her shirt and patiently waiting for her to calm down._

{}

_“He’s not doing very well, is he?” Raphael said. He and Key were sitting and watching one of Norman’s challenges, a foreign man in scruffy black clothes who was being thoroughly trounced by Slaking. Several of the other children were watching too, hooting and cheering whenever one of the battlers landed a hit._

_“Of course not!” Key giggled. The challenger heard her and glared back at them, muttering darkly. His Golbat got smacked down yet again and this time failed to get back up. Norman declared the match over and went to shake the man’s hand, but the challenger just cursed again and slapped his hand away. “He’s rude, isn’t he?”_

_“Very rude,” Raphael said, shaking his head. “And angry, too.” Key and Raphael had become inseparable over the past year. The little psychic followed Key everywhere and was an amazing judge of character due to his ability to read feelings. This power also allowed him to always know exactly how Key felt, so that he was the first to cheer her up when she was sad and always ready to play when she was. Reciprocally, Key had become very adept at reading his feelings, and right now she could tell that he didn’t like the man in black at all._

_“Screw you and your damn fatass Pokémon!” the man raged, storming away from the field. Key shied away as he stomped towards the door, which she and Raphael were sitting directly next to. Raphael moved forward a little, seating himself protectively between Key and the angry man. The man reached the door, glaring at Key and Raphael. He looked back at Norman, who was heading for Key, and then down at Raphael, who was glaring right back at him, grinned horribly, raised one booted foot—_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is why Key starts the Nuzlocke with one death. Raphael’s death gets included because it could be considered part of this run, whereas Saylee’s many previous deaths are part of previous runs. Simples.
> 
> Saylee  
> Name: Stacey. Species: Spoink. Nature: Hasty. Ability: Own Tempo.  
> Name: Sanborn. Species: Sandshrew. Nature: Naughty. Ability: Sand Veil.  
> Name: Tina. Species: Trapinch. Nature: Naïve. Ability: Hyper Cutter.
> 
> Key  
> Name: Sayuri. Species: Spoink. Nature: Sassy. Ability: Thick Fat.  
> Name: Sandy. Species: Sandshrew. Nature: Naughty. Ability: Sand Veil.  
> Name: Wyatt. Species: Wynaut. Nature: Modest. Ability: Shadow Tag.  
> Name: Topaz. Species: Trapinch. Nature: Gentle. Ability: Arena Trap.


	14. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 3
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 21   
> Deaths: 2

“Bloody hell,” Saylee exclaimed.

“Exactly,” Key said roughly. “It hurt like hell. It felt like he’d stamped on _me_. I think I passed out. I woke up hours later, crying and crying and crying, and I couldn’t stop. Dad offered me a Pokémon to replace Raphael, but it’s not like anyone could. Thomas is the first Pokémon I’ve had since.”

“I’m sorry, I had no idea,” Saylee said morosely. She heard a creaking of bedsprings as Key shifted on her bed.

“Of course you didn’t, I only just told you,” Key said lightly. “It just never came up. Besides, you’ve lost so many more than me, in comparison it didn’t seem...”

“Death isn’t a numbers game,” Saylee said sharply, standing up. She opened her eyes to discern where Key was seating, then reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Any loss at all is a terrible, terrible thing and not to be taken lightly. But you know what?” She smiled a little. “An old friend told me that friends never really leave each other. They’ll always be with you, as long as you remember them. And they’ll always protect you. Psychics have an especially powerful presence in this world even after they’ve left.” She dug in her bag for her dreamcatcher. She stared absentmindedly at the dancing confection of colours and flashes of light, before hanging it up over her bed. She trailed her fingers down the threads until she found the coin and the spoon, the remnants of her Hypno and Kadabra, small items that still seemed to retain something of their owners’ psychic power.

“Get some sleep,” she said. “Dream about Wanda. Then in the morning, we’d better get on the road to get you your fifth badge!”

{}

“Thanks for the ride, Mr Briney!” Key called as they hopped off of the boat and onto the pier outside Petalburg Woods. She stretched broadly, breathing deeply of the mix of salt and wood in the air. “Mmm... it’s good to be home!”

“Thanks,” Saylee said, waving goodbye to the spritely old man, who simply waved back, revved up his boat and sped off. Pecko’s singing echoed on the breeze. “Straight to your dad’s gym?” she asked Key.

“Yeah!” Key said, straightening her glasses with a proud grin. “I’m revved up to fight. I’ve seen him battle a million times. I know all his strategies!”

“He might be holding back something special for you, though,” Saylee suggested. “Some people do that, never really go all out until they’re battling someone that they really think deserves it.”

Key bit her lip. “...You think so? He _is_ good.”

“And he’s your dad, and he won’t go over-the-top,” Saylee promised, grinning. “I’m just saying, if you show you earned it, then he might battle you with more than he’s given anyone else. I know people who said they never fought anyone harder than they fought Red.”

“Who’s Red?” Key asked. Saylee gripped her new glasses, taking them off and cleaning them on the hem of her shirt.

“He was my big brother,” she said, not looking up. “He was a fantastic trainer. He adored his Pokémon and trained them brilliantly. He fought his way across Kanto three years before I did.”

“...was?” Key asked delicately. Saylee nodded, not looking at her. She held up her glasses to the light, squinting at them, and then huffed on one of the smudged lenses and cleaned it again.

“He died a few years ago,” she said, focusing very intently on the glass. “In an accident. Pushed himself too hard.”

“I’m so sorry,” Key gasped. Saylee put her glasses back on and saw that the younger girl looked utterly stricken. “You never mentioned him.”

“It hasn’t really come up,” Saylee said quickly. “I only found out he was dead a couple of years ago, anyway. I spent a few years before that looking for him. He was missing for a long time.”

“It must have been awful, finding him dead,” Key said, a little awkwardly. They’d slowed to a halt, standing on the beach, and Saylee looked out at the wave crashing rhythmically into the sand. “After searching for him.”

Saylee shook her head. “I wish I could have found him alive,” she admitted. “But I’m… grateful that I found him at all. Those years where I didn’t know where he was, what had happened to him... _that_ was awful. We got closure, in the end. My mum and Blue and I. And Red’s at peace. He’s in a better place...” She shook her head again and smiled tightly at Key. “It’s kind of a complicated story. I’ll tell you about it another time. But for now, the important thing is that it’s time for you to battle your dad, right?” She turned and started walking towards Petalburg.

“Hey!” Key said. Saylee glanced back. “I thought the important thing for you to find out about those stones?” Key pointed out. “Those stones you found that gave you weird dreams? I thought that was what you came to Hoenn for, right?”

Saylee looked surprised. “It is,” she said, touching her fingers to the pocket of her bag with the stones in it. “And I’ll keep looking. I’ll find out sooner or later. But you’re my friend, so I can at least come cheer you on, right?” She grinned, and it was a happier grin than the fake smile that she’d flashed before. “C’mon. Your dad’s probably waiting.”

Key ran to catch up to Saylee, briefly flinging an arm around her shoulder and giving her a hug. “Thanks,” she said. “And y’know, I hope you find some peace too. I really do.”

“Thanks,” Saylee said softly.

{}

“Well, look who it is!” Rob said, looking away from his Furret and a Quilava racing each other around the room and giving Key a noogie when she walked into the door of the main Petalburg dojo. “Little Key! Welcome back! And Saylee, right?”

“Hi… Rob?” Saylee guessed. Rob gave her a thumbs-up. She’d met a lot of people the last time she’d been at the dojo, but Rob’s green-and-orange striped hair was pretty distinctive.

“I’m not a kid anymore, Rob,” Key said, ducking away and sticking her tongue out at him. “How’re you doing? How’s training going?”

“Check these guys out,” Rob said, gesturing to the two large, long, slender Pokémon that came charging up towards them. “Zeon, Kenneth, you guys remember Key? And this is her foreign buddy Saylee… Where’d Lazarus go?”

“I dunno, he’s just a little Cubone, he likes playing around,” Zeon the Furret said. “Hey Key!”

“Heya,” Kenneth, the Quilava, said, sniffing Saylee curiously.

“You guys are looking good,” Saylee said, grinning at them. “I trained a Furret and a Quilava back in Johto. Furret are about as versatile as they come. You should’ve seen Steve surf. And are you looking forward to being a Typhlosion, Kenneth?”

“Hell yeah!” Kenneth said, flaring up the top of his head. “You trained one? Nice!”

“Does that mean you’ll give me tips on how to beat them?” Key asked, grinning.

“You want your dad to see you reading off a cheat sheet?” Saylee said pointedly.

Rob cackled for a second before pausing, his eyes wide. “Wait, you’re ready to fight Norman? You’ve got four badges?”

“Check it,” Key said proudly, flashing her badges at Rob.

“Sweet,” Rob whistled, glancing at his Pokémon. “Hey, Zeon, can you go fetch Norman?” The big Furret nodded and shot off. “And Kenneth, can you find Lazarus?”

“You said he was a Cubone, right?” Saylee said, watching the Quilava head off. “Most male Cubone aren’t very aggressive. I had one, though, and he was definitely powerful. Speaking of versatile, have you seen the kind of moves Marowak can learn…?”

They nattered on about Johto Pokémon for a few minutes before Zeon returned with Norman in tow. The Leader smiled warmly when he saw Key, but rather than sweeping her up into a big hug like the last time they’d seen him, he shook her hand.

“I see you got your badges,” he said, waving to the front of her jacket where the four of them were pinned. “That makes us competitors, for now. When do you want to battle?”

“Whenever you’re ready,” Key said excitedly. “I’ve got something really cool to show you. Saylee helped me train her.”

“I’ve trained similar Pokémon before,” Saylee said, grinning knowingly at the pokéball that Key was showing her dad. “They take a lot of work, but they’re _so_ worth it.”

“Well, I’m interested to see your new Pokémon,” Norman said, leading them through to the battle room. The walls were smooth wood panelling like the rest of the building, although with patches that had been noticeably smashed and repaired, and the floor was covered in cheap, thick, disposable mats. “And I know a perfect way for a trainer to get to know another trainer’s Pokémon! Rob, will you referee?”

“No problem,” Rob said, trotting off to stand at the left middle of the battlefield. Saylee stood behind the challenger’s box, watching Key square off against her dad. “Fifth-badge match! Four on four, first one to lose all Pokémon goes down!”

“I’ve been looking forward to this,” Norman said, grinning proudly at his daughter. “I’ll start with Spiro!” He released a tittering, twirling Spinda.  

“Whoooooooaaaaaaaaaaa... we’re battling _Key?_ ” the little spinner gasped, tottering around to stare at his trainer’s daughter.

“Yep,” Norman said, smiling at his daughter. “So, what’re you using?”

“I know what all you have, so it’s only fair that I return the favour,” Key said, releasing her Pokémon in turn. “You know Thomas. He’s still a Grovyle, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a badass.”

“Hope you’re ready to get your ass kicked, old man,” Thomas said, leaning against the wall next to Saylee.

“Not yet, Thomas,” Key giggled, releasing Python. “And this is Python, do you remember him? He’s evolved!”

“Check it out!” Python said proudly, rearing up and snarling. “How cool am I?”

“Yeah, you’ve been hit by an Ice Beam,” Thomas said, rolling his eyes. “Now freeze. That means no talking.”

“Be nice,” Key chastised, releasing Leslie. “Python, go stand next to Thomas, okay? And Leslie, she evolved too.”

“A Linoone?” Norman said proudly. Leslie preened and then looked around nervously. Saylee took pity on her and released Zac and Polly—the latter because Saylee found the two Mightyena just too cute together. Whenever both were released, they greeted each other with nuzzles and ear-nibbles before sitting patiently to watch the battlefield. “Your Pokémon all look in wonderful condition.”

“And this is Manami and Shikoba!” Key continued, showing off her Azumarill and Swellow. “You haven’t met them yet. Manami, Shikoba, this is my dad. He’s a gym leader.”

“Charmed!” Manami said, waving to Norman. Shikoba just nodded to him, and Norman nodded back, before Shikoba returned to preening his feathers and straightening his scarf. Since evolving, he’d become even prouder and flirtier than before, and Thomas seemed to have taken it as a personal mission to knock him down a peg on occasion—in this case, tugging the Swellow’s favourite silk scarf off and laughing as Shikoba struggled to retie it with beak alone.

“I won’t be fighting with everyone, of course… in fact, I’ll probably only need one,” Key declared, holding aloft the last pokéball. “We’ve been working pretty hard together, so let’s see how it paid off! Topaz!”

She threw the pokéball into the air and the elegant green form of a Flygon flew out, landing by Key’s side. “Hi,” she said softly, flicking her tail. Rob whooped appreciatively.

“A Flygon? Now that’s a challenge!” Norman laughed. “You up for it, Spiro?”

“Lemme at ‘em!” Spiro said, weaving towards Topaz.

“Watch out,” Key muttered to Topaz. “He might not look coordinated, but it’s a facade to confuse you. You’ve got to take him out before he gets near you! Dragonbreath!”

“Okay!” Topaz flapped her wings, buzzing into the air, and breathed blue flame all over Spiro. The dizzy little Pokémon cried out and collapsed.

“I’d heard that they were powerful, but this is the first time I’ve seen it,” Norman said appreciatively, returning Spiro and releasing his Linoone. “Have at it, Linus. Slash!”

“Crunch!” Key ordered. Linus’ claws raked across Topaz’ armoured skin, doing little damage, while her powerful jaws closed around his midsection. She flung him back to the ground, where he lay unconscious. “Brilliant!”

“Then it’s your turn, Van!”Norman ordered, releasing his Vigoroth. Key suddenly looked nervous; Vigoroth were strong and fast, and would take more than one hit to take out.

“Sand Tomb!” Key ordered. Topaz nodded and flapped her wings furiously, emitting a hail of sand.

“Slash!” Norman ordered again. Van’s claws were even sharper than Linus’, but he often missed Topaz through the sand and her defences were powerful. She continued to knock him back and bury him in sand, and he eventually fell under the deluge.

“Is that it?” Topaz asked, nonplussed, landing next to the unconscious Vigoroth.

“No!” Key yelled. “Get back! That’s—”

“Faint Attack!” Norman called. Topaz was knocked backwards as Van suddenly slashed at her, catching her off-guard. “Follow it up with another Slash!”

“Dragonbreath!” Key called. Topaz breathed out a second wave of blue fire, this time managing to take Van out before he got near her. He collapsed again and Topaz hung back nervously, but Norman returned him.

“This is quite exciting,” he laughed. “Fantastic, Key! But I’m afraid it’s time for the big guy...”

“Oh, no,” Key muttered nervously as Slaking appeared. The fat giant lumbered forwards, lazily stretching and flexing his gigantic muscles. “Solomon!”

“Hey,” he yawned, waving vaguely at Key before reclining indolently on the floor. Topaz looked down at Key, resonating with her trainer’s nervousness.

“Keep it together, Key!” Saylee cheered. “You’re doing great! Show him what you’ve got!”

“C’mon, roast that fat lump!” Thomas called. Key’s other Pokémon set up a cheering section. Bolstered by their support, Key turned back to the battle, sizing Solomon up.

“Dragonbreath!” She ordered. “You can’t get within his reach!” Topaz nodded, breathing the odd blue flames for the third time. They washed over Solomon, but he didn’t appear fazed. He just yawned hugely. Topaz couldn’t help a yawn herself, and began to flag a little, Solomon’s laziness infecting her.

Flute music joined the rhythmic cheering of Key’s Pokémon. Key glanced back to see Saylee had pulled a flute out of her bag and was playing a simple backup melody to her Pokemon’s cheering. “Wake up! Dragonbreath again!” Key called, looking up at Topaz. The dragon did so, already looking perked up. Solomon grunted in pain as the fire hit him again, leaving him stiff and jerky with paralysis.

“That’s brilliant, that’ll hurt him!” Saylee called, but Key shook her head. Her dad had grinned, and she knew exactly why.

“Not if it just makes him stronger!” Key called, looking up at Topaz. “Get back, he’s gonna use—”

“Facade!” Norman ordered. With astonishing swiftness, Solomon hauled himself to his feet and flung himself at Topaz. She was knocked out of the sky with a scream.

“Topaz!” Key yelled, starting forwards as Solomon rolled off of her, scratching at his burn. “Topaz...”

“Is she out?” Norman asked as Solomon looked back down at his fallen foe.

“She looks out,” he opined, reaching down to her. He was whacked in the face by a green, whiplike tail, and then hit dead-on by yet another blast of draconic fire.

“Faint Attack,” Key said smugly as Solomon went down hard enough to shake the gym floors. “I learned from the best.”

“I can’t believe that I just fell for my own trick!” Norman laughed, slapping his hand over his face. He dragged it off as he walked over to Solomon. “Solomon? Solomon... nope, he’s out.” He grinned broadly at Key. “I can’t believe it! That means that I lost!”

“You won, Key!” Saylee whooped. Thomas darted over to high-five his trainer, and the rest burst into cheering. Key hugged Topaz around the neck, before being swept up into a huge hug by her dad.

“Here you go,” he said, pinning his badge onto her jacket. “You’ve earned it, Key. You really have. I’m amazed by how strong you’ve gotten!”

“I’ve had some help becoming a trainer,” Key said, glancing back at Saylee, who just shook her head.

“The important thing about becoming a trainer is to love your Pokémon,” she said, scratching behind Polly’s ears. “That’s all you need. Any Pokémon can be strong if it’s loved. And you love yours.”

“You always have,” Norman said proudly, ruffling Key’s hair. Key made a face. “I remember that you had a Silcoon, too. Did she evolve?”

“Wanda?” Key said, her face falling. “Yeah, she evolved, but...”

Judging by the way that the grin slid off of his face, Norman already knew what his daughter was going to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The battle was more or less swept through by Topaz for Key. As for me… Teddy and Double Kick happened. Setting a Mega Blaziken on this gym in October will be fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun.


	15. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 3
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 21   
> Deaths: 2

Saylee sat by the side of the pond in the garden of Petalburg Gym, watching Molly and Manami swim around happily. Teddy was sitting behind her, leaning against the side of the gym and dozing. He was still moulting some of his yellow Combusken feathers—the adrenaline surge in the desert had made him evolve faster than usual and some of the less major physical changes were still ongoing. Saylee brushed some soft yellow feathers away and then reached out to stroke William’s wing. He was sitting on her knee, morosely staring into the middle distance.

“You miss Wanda, don’t you?” she said, gently stroking one of his feelers.

He nodded. “It’s weird,” he said softly. “I thought we were invincible one we’d evolved. You’re really vulnerable as a Wurmple, and I’ve seen plenty of others die before ever evolving. But you’d never see a Dustox or a Beautifly die. I thought they were invincible. Now... I just kinda feel scared.”

“Nobody’s invincible, William,” Saylee said gently. “Everyone dies. We just have to try to do what we can while we’re still here.” She lifted her hand away and fiddled nervously with her glasses. “You know, I could put you in your pokéball and send you to my mum in Kanto. You can hang out with Yvonne. She’s a Yanma, a bug-type like you, and she flies all over. You don’t have to stay with me if you’re scared, or if it’s hard without…”

“I don’t want to _leave_!” William said quickly. “I miss Wanda a lot, but… I don’t not feel safe with you, or anything. I guess I just noticed that I can die for the first time, and it’s kinda freaking me out.” He fluttered up onto her shoulder. “I like you. You’re a nice trainer, and you make the best food I’ve ever eaten, and you take such good care of my wings!” He flapped said wings a few times to underline his point.

“Key said that she told you about Raphael.”

Saylee looked back to see Norman wandering out of the gym. He nodded at Teddy and then sat down at the side of the pond, watching Molly and Manami play. “She did,” Saylee said. “After Wanda died. It explains a lot. She really exploded at me when Winnie died...”

“It was a very bad time for her,” Norman said sadly. “She and Raphael were inseparable, and they hand a bond in their mind that was shattered very violently when Raphael was killed. She was practically comatose for days, and her recovery was…” he pressed his lips together tightly and shook his head. “It was a few years before she wanted to train Pokémon again, but… well, we were scared that if she lost another Pokémon...” He sighed heavily. “Thank you for giving her Thomas.”

“I didn’t exactly give him to her,” Saylee clarified. “We were just both there when Professor Birch needed help. Two people, two Pokémon. The Professor encouraged her to keep him afterwards. I don’t know... maybe I encouraged her to as well. She was pretty reluctant to pick up Thomas’ pokéball, but I just kinda pushed her to help me protect the Professor. I didn’t even know her, we were just both there when there was trouble and we both responded. Then I was going her way anyway...”

“Well, however it happened, I’d like to thank you for it,” Norman said, shaking her hand. “Even losing another Pokémon, Key seems a lot more alive with the rest. She’s a lot happier. And she’s getting to see the world. It’s wonderful.” He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, looking out across the water. “You’ve lost Pokémon yourself, she said. How did you get past it?”

“I didn’t, sometimes,” Saylee said, also looking away. “Sometimes I just ground to a halt. Sometimes I just wanted to run home. Part of me will never get past it. I can’t ever forget any of them. But all of them died for something. All of them died fighting for something that both they and I believed in. I learned to push through my grief because I had to finish the fight that they died for, otherwise they died for nothing. I always found something to fight for on their behalf… I _need_ to believe that no death is meaningless, I guess.” She frowned. “I guess that’s why I’ve been so unsettled by the three I lost here, more than any other. I thought Hoenn was so much more peaceful, nobody like Team Rocket here. But two died in stupid, avoidable accidents, and then there was Team Aqua and Team Magma...”

“I’ve heard rumours about Teams Magma and Aqua,” Norman said, scowling. “Extremist environmental groups. I don’t know what they think they’re up to, but if either of them try to start trouble around here, I’m not letting them get away with it like Roxanne and Flannery did. Don’t know what those girls were thinking...” He smiled at Saylee. “I really don’t know whether to be proud of you girls for kicking their asses or to yell at Key for doing something so dangerous!” he laughed. “But you’re both alright, and I feel like she’s safe with you looking out for her...” He patted Saylee on the shoulder and stood up. “We’ve got a bed set up for you in Key’s room. Don’t be out too late.”

“Thanks,” Saylee said, watching him go.

“Real nice of ‘im,” Teddy commented. “He sure do love his daughter, don’t he?” He frowned at Saylee’s distant expression. “Somethin’ wrong?”

“Just jealous of Key, a little,” she sighed. “Her parents love her a lot… even if keeping her Pokémon from her wasn’t really the right thing for her, they did it out of love, you know? There’s… not a lot of that back home.”

“Why in th’hell not?” Teddy asked.

“Because nobody can, in Kanto,” Saylee sighed. “Collective memory in the region around the Indigo moutains goes back no further than twenty years, eleven months and...” she checked the calendar on her pokégear. “Six days. With four human exceptions and a small number of Pokémon, nobody remembers a thing before then. Psychic ground zero.”

“... _How?_ ” Teddy asked incredulously. “How’s _everyone_ gone and forgot _everythin’_?”

“It’s... pretty complicated, and parts of it are… unknown…” Saylee said, shivering a little. “The point is, one morning everyone in the country wakes up in a wasteland without any personal memory. Functional memory, yeah—everyone can walk and talk and brew tea and so on--but nobody remembers their birthday, where they live, their family, nothing. A nation of people who are having to deduce who their relatives are on involuntary emotional responses and things like photos, diaries, matching wedding rings...” She rubbed the back of her neck, looking, to Teddy, far too old and tired for a human that wasn’t fully evolved. “Some people found matches. Some people didn’t. Never found out where we lived, originally. My mum woke up standing on a dockyard, as if she’d just gotten off of a ship, with a baby girl in her belly and a little boy sitting by her side that she couldn’t be sure was hers… well, it was just a couple of years ago that we found out that he was for sure, and that we were siblings. That was when we found out who our father was.”

“You didn’t know before?” William said curiously. “I mean, that’s a big deal for you humans, isn’t it?”

Saylee nodded “How could we know, though?” she sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Mum had a ring, but no photos, nothing, and we had no idea where we lived… it was only when we found a photo belonging to _him_ , with him and Mum and Red in it, that we knew for sure. He turned out to be a bastard, anyway, and he’d gotten together with another woman since. I’ve got a little half-brother. He’s seven years younger than me. His name’s Silver. He lives with my Mum now. His mother’s in prison and… and _he’s_ missing.”

“Goddamn,” Teddy murmured. “Did yer mom ever get hitched again?”

“Oh, yeah,” Saylee said, nodding and looking happier. “A couple years ago. He’s a guy from Sinnoh named Byron. She and Silver went out there to live with him.”

“So where do you live, with your family so far away?” William asked.

“Right now? Here,” Saylee laughed. “Well, I suppose that right now, ‘home’ is…” she pulled a photograph out of her pocket. A young man with spiky brown hair was talking to a Blastoise. He wasn’t quite looking at the camera and didn’t seem to know his photo was being taken. “I spent years looking for Red. Then I spent a while living at home… after my mum moved to Sinnoh, I moved in with my boyfriend Blue. We’ve been living together in Viridian for two years now...” She looked up at the clear night skies, smiling at the stars that you still couldn’t see in the Kanto sky. “I can’t wait for Kanto to look like this again. I’m sure it will, someday, with enough work put into restoring it.”

 _Maybe even with the help of the gods,_ she thought, thinking of the stone fragments in her bag. _Earth and sea… can they purify them even better than Suicune? If I assist and befriend the avatars of Groudon and Kyogre, would they be able to protect Kanto, and any other country like it?_

 _I wonder if there are other countries like Kanto? The world just keeps getting bigger and bigger._ She could still remember her shock the first time she’d seen a full map of the entire world. Kanto and Johto had been such a small part of it. _So much land, so much sea… I can’t imagine who’s going to be responsible for all of that. I just hope to hell it’s not another ten-year-old kid._

{}

Since Mr Briney wasn’t in his hut and the weather was baking, Key and Saylee decided to swim from Petalburg to Dewford with  their Pokémon. It would only take them half a day, plus a little time to practice swimming with Manami and Molly. Saylee was mostly quiet, which Key likely put down to Steele leaving the night before. The timid bird had confessed that he wasn’t really into travelling and fighting, and would much rather settle down. Saylee had offered to store him in her Hoenn PC storage and send him back to Kanto at the first opportunity to live In Pallet with her female Skarmory, Sheska.

 _“It might be a while, until the bug that stops me transferring Pokemon across countries gets fixed,_ ” _Saylee explained, “but I don’t think you can perceive time in there anyway… are you sure you don’t want to stay?”_

_“I’m not cut out to be a fighter, Saylee,” Steele said, ducking his silvery head. “Never have been. Your training regimens are good exercise and all, but I can just tell that they’re for battle. You guys are fighters, and I respect that and all, but... I’m not. You need to work with fighters, and that’s not me. Besides,” he added shyly, “Sheska sounds like quite a chick.”_

_“I’m sure you’ll just love her,” Saylee laughed, stroking Steele’s head. “I’ll miss you, Steele. Be happy.”_

_“Be safe,” Steele said, nudging her hand. “If at all possible.”_

_“We’ll work on it,” Key promised. Steele bowed his head to her, and Saylee returned him to his pokéball, pausing to give the pokéball a little kiss before putting it in the PC upload box._

“Are you alright?” Key asked after a long while of swimming in silence.

“Fine,” Saylee said. “I think I’ll give Lanette a call and retrieve Skye, that sweet little Swablu I caught near Meteor Falls. If I can evolve her, she’ll be part dragon, you know? Should come in handy.” She swam over to cling to Molly as they hit some choppy waves. She didn’t speak much for the rest of the day, although holding a conversation would be difficult while swimming anyway.

That night, while camping on the beach at Dewford, Saylee focused on starting to train and care for Skye, whose cottony wings required a lot of maintenance. Key hoped that she would be cheerier tomorrow. After all, as much as nobody liked losing Pokémon, at least Steele was definitely alive and safe, not dead like Winnie, Nina and Makoto. Not like Wanda and Raphael...

{}

After a few days of travel and training, both girls had pretty much brightened up back to normal when they were accosted almost the second they set foot back in Mauville City.

“Key and Saylee, right?”

“Mr Wattson?” Key called, recognizing the old man striding up to them with a broad grin. She couldn’t summon up one to match, and neither could Saylee, she noted when she glanced back at her friend; hardly surprising, considering that the last time they’d seen Wattson, Makoto had died because of the lack of control of one of his pupils.

“You girls are just the kind of help I’ve been looking for!” he said brightly, clapping his hands onto their shoulders. “Listen, girls, I need some help.”

“And nobody else in the city can help because...?” Saylee asked, looking at the hand on her shoulder.

“Because I need a couple of powerful trainers, and the only ones here are all electric trainers,” Wattson said, winking at them, ignoring their frosty looks. “This is very important. I need someone to go in and shut down New Mauville.”

“New... what?” Key asked. A card key was pressed into her hand.

“South of here, out on the water,” Wattson said, steering them back down towards the Mauville Lake. “There’s an entrance to New Mauville. There’s a power complex down there, supposed to send this town into the future!” He laughed boisterously, but abruptly grew sombre. “But it’s running out of control. Driving electric Pokémon nuts. There’s a bunch of pissed-off electrics roaming around down there. It needs shutting off, now, before it goes critical. I’m begging you, girls, help me out here!”

“By critical...” Saylee asked quietly. Wattson nodded, all joviality gone.

“The blast radius will take out the southern part of town at least,” he murmured, looking back at the houses, the shops, the casino. “ _Please_ , girls, you’re the only ones I can ask.”

“Shouldn’t this be a job for, y’know… the actual techs involved with building the place?”

“I _was_ the tech involved with building the place,” Wattson muttered guiltily. “But I don’t have any Pokémon that aren’t electric… anyway, I made it simple, so any fool can shut it down!” He smiled brightly again. “Card key opens the doors, press the big-ass red button in front of the generator to shut it down. Nothing to it!”

“Fine,” Key agreed with a sigh, releasing Manami again. “Get outta here, we’d better get changed. I’m not swimming out in my clothes.”

“This was clearly a bad plan from the start,” Saylee muttered, watching Wattson jog back to Mauville City while she headed for the Pokémon Centre to get a changing room. “New Mauville, I mean. Having to _swim_ to an _electric power complex_ never ends well.”

“You’ve done something like this _before_?” Key said incredulously.

“Well, it wasn’t _me,_ but… fingers crossed for no pissed-off titans,” Saylee said, raising her crossed fingers in the air.

“Okay, you _definitely_ have to give me the story behind _that_ one,” Key shouted, running after her. “C’mon, _titans_?”

“Well, I heard this second hand off of Lt Surge, and for a soldier that guy’s got a real flair for the dramatic…” Saylee sighed.

{}

New Mauville was an almost entirely automated facility, but the fluctuating power must’ve caused the doors to break down at least once, because the halls were full of electric Pokémon running wild and feeding off of the sparking electrical equipment lining the walls on the path to the main reactor.

“Don’t touch that!” Saylee said sharply. Key, who had been reaching for a discarded pokéball, withdrew her hand.

“What? It looks in good shape,” she complained. “And hey, Wattson didn’t say that we couldn’t have free stuff.”

“That’s not a pokéball,” Saylee said. “Zac, use Dig.” Zac immediately smashed aside some of the tiled flooring, burrowing through the bedrock below and coming up to smack aside the pokéball. It crackled violently with electricity and then rolled over to give Saylee a steely glare. Saylee hit it with a real pokéball, and it vanished.

“It was a Voltorb?” Key said in surprise. “It’s tiny!”

“Baby Voltorb are only about the size of a pokéball,” Saylee explained. “I made the mistake of picking one up once and got zapped. They’re not powerful enough to kill you, but _damn_ does it sting.”

“I’ll think twice about picking up free stuff in future,” Key said, side-eyeing the pokéball that Saylee was now holding. Saylee grinned.

“You only see them in high-electricity environments like this,” Saylee said, looking around at the crackling control panels. “Electrically-charged caves under mountains, generally. Feel free to scaff away anywhere else.”

“You seem to know your way around here,” Zac said as Saylee flipped a switch to let them through another door. She was wearing the rubber gloves that she wore when she was washing camping dishes in the river. “You been here before?”

“I’ve been to a disused power plant before,” Saylee said, “and I went back later when it was renovated. It’s the first power plant in Kanto in over twenty years. They showed me around. I know how these places function. We’ll get to the main generator soon.”

“The first in twenty years?” Key asked. “Is that anything to do with… what was it, Psychic Ground Zero?”

Saylee looked surprised. “Where did you hear that term?” she asked.

“I heard Molly trying to explain it to Manami,” Key said with a shrug. “When I asked she said that she didn’t really get it, but she’d heard you talking about it to Teddy and William. What _is_ it, really?”

“The end of a war and the beginning of the world,” Saylee said quietly, fiddling with a control panel to bring up a flickering complex map.

Key groaned. “Cryptic shit? Really? _Again_?” she complained. “C’mon, I’m curious. It wiped everyone in Kanto’s memories, right? And Johto, too, I heard something about that before. What could _do_ that?”

Saylee sighed, staring at the map and chewing her lip for a long moment. “A cloning project,” she said eventually, “that went horribly, horribly right.”

“Um, _what_?” Key asked in surprise. “A clone of what?”

“It’s complicated,” Saylee said, “and I’d really rather not talk about it… he’d rather be left alone. But he’s the reason that humans and Pokémon can communicate now, too. _Extremely_ powerful psychic, and could do with being left in peace and quiet.”

“Oh…” Key decided to change tack. “And you’ve got a little brother, too, they said? How come you didn’t mention _that_?”

“I didn’t know myself until a couple of years ago,” Saylee said evasively.

“That’s no excuse!” Key said. “You didn’t know _me_ until a month ago! So come on then: how old is he? What’s he like?”

“He’s thirteen,” Saylee said, watching Polly and Python rolling Voltorb out of the way. “His name’s Roark, but I call him Silver. He asks people that he likes to call him Silver. He’s my half-brother through our father, but he’s living with mum and her new husband in Sinnoh.”

“Why doesn’t he live with your dad?” Key asked.

“He used to, when he was little,” Saylee said, pointing at a particular door. Teddy started wrenching it open. “But his mother’s in jail and our father will be if he ever shows up again, so… ah, here we go. This looks like a generator room, doesn’t it?” The room was dominated by a huge, glowing generator, humming loudly and crackling with electricity.

“In _jail_?” Key said, following Saylee into the room. Saylee started walking around the generator, examining it. “ _Why_?”

“Because they ran Team Rocket, okay?” Saylee said, a little more sharply than she’d intended to. “That gang of thieving, murdering bastards that I told you about? That my brother and I spent nearly five years fighting between us? They were controlled by _my father_!”

“Hey,” Key said quickly, stepping back with her hands in the air, eyes wide and face pale, either startled by Saylee’s sudden anger or by the reason she hadn’t talked about her family before. “I’m not accusing you of anything. Even if your dad’s a bastard, that doesn’t mean you are, does it? You’re the _opposite_ , from what I’ve seen.”

“Thanks,” Saylee said, relaxing a little. “I’m sorry I snapped, I just… well, it’s been three years since I found out about all this, and it’s still hard to get a handle on sometimes, y’know?” Key nodded. Saylee turned back to the generator. “Now, how to turn it off?” She glanced at Teddy, who was still getting the hang of his new Blaze Kick and was a little overeager to use it. He backed away from the generator when he caught her expression.

“You could use this,” Thomas called. He was standing by a control panel. “This big red button here? The one that says ‘OFF’ in big white letters?”

“That’s what Wattson said to do,” Key agreed, going over to press it. The generator immediately began to quiet, the buzzing and glow dying down as it turned off. “That should do it.” She grinned at Saylee. “There are other ways to fix things than breaking them down and rebuilding them, you know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steele actually died in New Mauville, but I had other things I wanted to do with that section and anyway I liked him too much to let him die. So, like Elric, he’s still around but will never appear on a team. He’s kind of a zombie. Which is a little creepy.
> 
> Saylee  
> Name: Vinny. Species: Voltorb. Nature: Mild. Ability: Static. Level: 24  
> RIP Steele the Skarmory, level 16-33
> 
> Key  
> -


	16. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 17   
> Deaths: 4
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 22   
> Deaths: 2

“Mmm, this is _great_ ,” Key said, stretching out on the sand to relax. Manami and Molly were swimming in the lake east of Mauville, enjoying the water, and Key had a mind to spend the afternoon sunbathing and drying out after swimming across the water. Saylee had other ideas. She was walking along the beach with Skye on her arm.

“Skye ain’t quite as tough as the rest of us,” Teddy explained. “She needs some real trainin’.” He was doing mountain climber stretches on a pile of rocks, his new legs incredibly long and covered in red and gold plumage as if they were on fire. Thomas was watching with interest.

“You don’t look half as stupid as you did when you were a Combusken,” he conceded. “Now that all your new plumage is in, I mean. How’d that happen?”

“The Pokémon in New Mauville weren’t too happy ‘bout us turnin’ off their generator,” Teddy said with a shrug. “Me ‘n Topaz had t’fight our way out.”

“Wattson was pretty happy about it, though,” Key said, remembering the old man happily pressing a thunderbolt TM on them. She’d let Saylee have it. It looked like she had plans for it. “Saylee, come and relax! It’s going to be a long way to Fortree, so we might as well have a day off! C’mon, you’re in your swimsuit and everything!”

“Because I’m too damp to get changed into proper clothes,” Saylee shot back. She’d never surfed with anything small enough to require a bit of swimming from her before coming to Hoenn, so she’d never owned a swimsuit before, and Key had had a hard time convincing her that it was a piece of clothing that you could be seen in public in. “Skye and I are just going to do a bit of work together, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea for everyone else to get a break,” she conceded, releasing the rest of her Pokémon.

“Bet you can’t go higher than me!” Skye piped up, flying off of her trainer’s arm and into the sky. Key released the rest of her Pokémon too. Shikoba and Topaz immediately flew to join in the racing, which Python and Polly watched with interest, but Zac and Leslie soon got distracted by shiny things in the sand and wandered off. William sat on Polly’s back to watch the racing but didn’t join in. A lot of life had gone out of him since Wanda’s death. He soon dozed off where he was perched; Dustox weren’t really made for daylight.

After a couple of hours of training, though, Saylee was impressed by Skye’s progressed and conceded to Key’s insistence that they’d earned a day off for dealing with New Mauville.

“It’s not really a day off if you’re training, you know,” Key pointed out as Saylee pulled a towel out of her bag and lay down on it.

“Daily training is essential,” Saylee said, pulling off her glasses and closing her eyes. “Polly, can you give me a shake if you can smell my skin starting to sizzle?”

“No problem!” Polly called, before returning to sniffing around in the sand with Python. Zac and Leslie kept digging into the soft white sand in search of trinkets. Almost every time they came up, Polly and Python had tracked them, and Python was ready to jump them.

“Even a burn would be a bit of colour on you,” Key said, following Saylee’s example and closing her eyes. “Have I told you how crazy white you are?”

“Many times.”

“Is everyone in Kanto like that?”

“We don’t get sun, okay?”

The pair of them must have drifted off in the sun because it felt like only minutes later that Polly and Python were trying to wake them up.

“That weird guy’s here again,” Python growled in Key’s ear. Sitting up, she saw that Saylee was already on her feet with her towel tied around her like a sarong. She and Teddy were facing Steven.

“Saylee, isn’t it?” he was saying brightly. “And Key, too! How lovely to see you ladies again.” He looked appreciatively up and down Teddy. For some reason, Saylee frowned, peering at Steven. “My, my, a newly-evolved Blaziken! That’s quite a sight to see. You barely need a flying-type with one of them around, you know. They say that Blaziken leap so high that they’re practically flying.”

“Sure makes up for not havin’ wings,” Teddy agreed.

“It’s been a while, Steven,” Saylee said. “How are you?”

“Hi, Steven!” Key said, scrambling over. “Listen, last time, I didn’t realize you were _Steven Stone,_ so I’ve got a favour to ask…” she ran back for her bag and pulled out her Pokédex and a permanent marker. “You, uh… wouldn’t mind signing this for me, would you?”

Steven smiled at her. “I don’t mind at all,” he said, taking the items from her and picking a spot to write on. “Not a lot of people recognize me on sight. I was never quite as much of a, eh, public presence as Wallace is.”

“Wallace used to be a gym leader, didn’t he?” Saylee said, pushing her glasses up her nose. “He became Champion about five years ago, when you left, right?”

“That’s right,” Steven agreed, handing Key back her Pokédex. “There you go, Key!”

“Thank you!” Key said excitedly, hugging the Pokédex. “Wallace has been all over TV too, of course…” Saylee looked blankly at her. “Don’t you guys get Hoenn channels in Kanto? Does Kanto even have TV?”

“It does, it’s just not widely watched and doesn’t get a lot of channels,” Saylee said with a shrug. “I mean, I could probably watch Hoenn channels in Johto, I just don’t.”

“Oh, you totally should,” Key gushed. “They televise loads of contests, and Wallace turns up in the beauty contests a lot. He always sweeps them with his Milotic, of course. Mael. Milotic are _so_ gorgeous…”

“So I’ve heard,” Saylee said. “So, Steven, what brings you out here?”

“Oh, the biggest berry farm in Hoenn’s half a day’s walk east of here!” Steven said brightly, pointing in the appropriate direction. “It’s quite fascinating, if you’ve got a day to spare. The berry master there grows berries that you can’t get anywhere else in the _world_. I just had to go see it!”

“I have to ask,” Saylee said, crossing her arms, “is this actually what ex-champions do with their time? Randomly wander around tourist destinations?”

“I do have a Pokénav,” Steven said, holding up the device. His was sleek and silver. “If anybody needs me, they can call. Actually, they did, which is why I’m out here. You see, the berry farm’s quite a ways through the forest. I needed a spot that Shawnel could take off from.” He released his huge, shining Skarmory. “I saw you ladies and thought it would be polite to say hi. And now that I’ve done so…” Shawnel leaned down so that Steven could climb onto his back. “We’d best make for Fortree, Shawnel.”

“Fortree?” Key said. “Hey, we’re headed there! I’m planning to challenge Winona!”

“Small world, eh?” Steven laughed. “Well then, I wish you good luck in your gym battle, and I guess I’ll see you there! Come on, Shawnel, let’s go!”

Shawnel spread his broad, silvery wings, and the pair flew away to the north.

“If Steele was still here, we could fly to Fortree too, couldn’t we?” Key said longingly.

“Neither of us has a flight license for Hoenn,” Saylee pointed out. “Actually, I think I read somewhere that Winona grants those.”

“Then I’ll beat her and get us flight licenses!” Key declared. “…Whenever we get there. How long is it to walk to Fortree?”

Saylee clicked open her Pokénav and brought up the map. “Wow. What a route. A week, probably. Four days if we don’t have breaks to train, but—“

“Daily training is essential, I know,” Key sighed. “Ahhh, Steven’ll probably be gone again by the time we get there…”

“Something’s weird about that guy,” Saylee muttered. “His eyes…”

“Staring dreamily into his eyes, are you?” Key teased. “Oooh, wait until your boyfriend hears about _that_!” She flopped back onto the sand, giggling maniacally, as Saylee’s Pokénav whizzed over her head.

{}

“I hate this grass, I hate this grass, I HATE THIS GRASS…”

“Tell be aboud id,” Saylee muttered, sneezing again. She’d never seen grass like this, thick and coarse and taller than she was. She couldn’t stop sneezing.

“We’re not far from the end of it, never fear,” Shikoba called down. He and Skye were circling above the grass, keeping tabs on their trainers’ locations and plotting a route, Skye pointedly ignoring Shikoba’s flirting, while Zac and Leslie scampered around at their heels. Linoone apparently had no problem whatsoever with tall grass.

“What’s the point of this stuff, anyway?” Thomas groused. “Too stiff to just snap, but too weak to climb…” Another Linoone jumped out on them, but Zac and Leslie intercepted, chasing the new Linoone away.

“There’s only room for _two_ of us in this grass!” Zac declared. Leslie ran up to Key and offered her the berries that she’d stolen from the attacking Linoone. Saylee had to wonder what the Pokémon equivalent of “sticky fingers” was, because Zac and Leslie certainly had it.

“Nearly there!” Skye promised. “Good thing too, my wings’re getting heavy. Must be rain up ahead.”

“I didn’d see a weader forecas’ for dad,” Saylee said, checking her Pokénav with a frown.

“Me neither,” Key said, doing likewise. “That’s weird. It’s not the rainy season yet or anything…”

“Slowboke aren’d nadive do dis region, are dey?” Saylee asked, taking a deep breath as they finally left the grass. “Ahhh… aa-CHO!”

“Bless you,” Key giggled, “and I don’t know… I could call Sissi and ask him. He knows all about Pokémon migratory patterns.”

“Go for id.” Saylee had spotted a river and wanted to go dunk her head in it. “Ask aboud Slowboke an’ Gyarados. Led be know whad he says.”

“Geez, a little grass and she’s all stuffed up,” Thomas sniffed, watching her go.

“I guess she gets hayfever,” Key said, dialling Sissi’s number. He picked up after four rings. “Hi, Sissi!”

“ _Key? Hi_!” he said. “ _This is a surprise. You never call anybody._ ”

“Yeah, I’m not a big one for phone calls, I know,” Key said apologetically. “How are you doing?”

“ _I’ve been having a great time following the Numel herds back and forth. They all got driven out of Mt Chimney by some kind of disturbance a while ago and they’re heading back…_ ”

“Good for them,” Key said, remembering the “disturbance” that had chased the Numel out. It had culminated in Saylee kicking Marc’s ass, apparently, but Key hadn’t noticed because she’d gotten into a shouting match with Archie where she’d tried to get through to him that just because what Team Magma was doing was _wrong_ did not make Team Aqua’s actions _right._ She wished she’d been able to get through to him and wondered if she ever would.

“Anyway, Sissi,” she said, shaking herself out of her train of thought. “I have a question for you. We’re going up Route 119 just now…”

“ _Wow, that’s a long trek. Are you headed to Fortree?_ ”

“Yeah, I beat Dad, so I’m on my way to get my sixth badge,” Key said proudly.

“ _That’s amazing! Congratulations!_ ”

“Thanks,” Key said with a grin. “Anyway, route 119. Do any Slowpoke live up here?”

“ _Slowpoke? They don’t live in Hoenn…_ ” Sissi sounded confused.

“I thought not, just had to check and I knew you’d know,” Key said quickly. “What about Gyarados?”

“ _You’ll probably be able to find all the Magikarp you don’t want…_ ”

“Fair enough. Thanks, Sissi. I’d better get going. Like you said, long trek. See you!”

Key hung up and went over to the river, where Saylee was shaking water out of her hair. Her eyes looked a little less red. She coughed and then spat heavily into the river.

“Okay, _ew_ ,” Key said, making a face. “Just so you know, that’s disgusting…”

“Yeah, so imagine having that in your throat. Urk.” Saylee cleared her throat a couple of times and put her glasses back on. “So, what’d Sissi say?”

“No Slowpoke or Gyarados,” Key reported. “Why did you want to know?”

“Just checking,” Saylee said, squeezing at her hair again and peering at her reflection in the river. “It’s getting long again. I could do with a haircut… anyway, rain with no forecasts at an unusual time just sets off some warning bells for me, but maybe it’s just a random storm. It happens.”

“You are rather paranoid, aren’t you, Saylee?” Shikoba asked curiously.

“It’s only paranoia if it’s unjustified,” Saylee grumbled.

{}

“Isn’t this fun?” Manami giggled as she and Molly ran on ahead through the rain. “It doesn’t stop!”

“It’s awfully muddy up here,” Molly called back to Key and Saylee. “Do be careful.”

“This is _ridiculous_ ,” Key grumbled. She hadn’t packed for rainy weather and was using Saylee’s umbrella. Saylee herself had pulled a red hoodie out of her bag and was holding the hood over her face. “I can’t believe you brought a jacket that heavy.”

“I know Hoenn’s warm, I’m just in the habit of packing for everything,” Saylee said, peering out from under her hood and gesturing at Key’s umbrella. “We’re lucky there’s no wind or that brolly would be useless.”

“It’s so heavy, though,” Key said, looking up at the thick grey cloud cover and then retreating beneath the umbrella again. “I can’t believe it’s kept this up all _day_. Nobody except Manami and Molly want to be out in it!”

“Well, the Pokénav map’s got a place marked up ahead,” Saylee said encouragingly. “The Weather Institute. It’s the halfway point on the road to Fortree. We can hide out from the rain there, maybe stay overnight if we can, and find out what the hell’s causing th-ARGH!”

Her foot slipped in the mud, and she grabbed Key’s arm, nearly pulling the younger girl down too. Saylee ended up down on one knee before she could steady herself. “Eurgh,” she complained, standing up again with Key’s help and making a face at the sticky brown mud that was now stuck to the front of her right leg. “Thanks, Key. Wouldn’t want to end up flat on my face in that.”

“Are you okay?” Molly said, running up to her trainer. “Here.” The rain was already sluicing most of the mud off, but Molly used a gentle water gun to get rid of all of the muck.

“Thanks, Molly,” Saylee said gratefully. “Come on, let’s get a move on to that Weather Institute. They might even have showers.”

“I feel damp enough,” Key said, making a face at the rain.

“Maybe we should ask those Aqua guys where to go!” Manami called back, pointing around a bend in the path.

“ _What_?!”

It was a miracle that neither of them slipped with how fast they ran up the path. It forked at where Manami was standing, signs pointing them one way to Fortree and the other to the Weather Institute. Two men were standing on the path to the Weather Institute. Neither girl recognized their faces, but their uniforms were all too familiar.

“Hey! You!” one of them called. “Don’t go near the Weather Institute! It’s not safe!”

“But it’s probably dry,” Saylee pointed out.

“I’m in favour of kicking Aqua’s ass and finding out what they’re up to under a dry roof,” Key suggested.

“I’m game,” Saylee agreed.

“What do you girls think you’re—“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saylee  
> Name: Oberon. Species: Oddish. Nature: Hasty. Ability: Chlorophyll. Level: 26  
> Name: Tahi. Species: Tentacool. Nature: Adamant. Ability: Liquid Ooze. Level: 14
> 
> Key  
> Name: Maya. Species: Manectric. Nature: Naughty. Ability: Static. Level: 26


	17. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 5
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 23   
> Deaths: 2

The grunts inside of the Weather Institute weren’t particularly strong, but they were numerous, and clearly they had been dug in for some time, giving them a home ground advantage that proved fatal when one of them and his Pokémon jumped them from a staff staircase that was concealed in the wall.

“WILLIAM!” Saylee screamed, not noticing the attack until it was too late. Teddy kicked aside both of the Poochyena that had jumped William, one tearing off one of his wings and the other crunching his abdomen. Saylee clutched her Dustox to her chest, but it was too late. The second bite had killed him.

“Too bad,” the grunt responsible snapped, “but we told you to leave! You can’t interfere with Shelly!”

“Oh, just _watch_ me,” Saylee growled. She was long practiced at funnelling grief into rage, and these stupid, dangerous grunts were a prime target. Teddy looked furious enough to kick the men himself, and that was probably what they expected. They didn’t expect Saylee to step past them, right arm drawn back. She broke the first man’s nose under the heel of her palm. His friend raised his arms in a boxing stance, yelling for his Carvanha to back him up.

“Zac!” Saylee called. “Thunderbolt!” While her Linoone zapped the attacking Carvanha, she ducked the man’s first swing and then kicked him beneath the belt. The first man rose again, blood running from his nose, but he was knocked to the floor again by a sudden application of Polly to the chest.

“I smelled it,” she growled, her usual jolly nature all gone. “They killed William?”

“They did,” Saylee said, gently brushing her hand over William’s limp, dulling wing. A remnant of blue powder sprinkled off and fell onto the man who was still on the ground, clutching his pain. He immediately fell fast asleep. Polly stepped back and allowed Saylee to sprinkle the last bit of powder on the man with the broken nose, sending him to sleep as well.

Leslie darted into the room and touched noses with Zac. He began to murmur to her what had happened. Key followed a moment later.

“I found the hostages!” she said brightly. “They were locked into a staff room down the hall. They say Shelly’s got some kind of experimental Pokémon of hers that can control the weather…”

“Polly, what’s wrong?” Python interrupted, following Key into the room and noticing his mate’s grim expression. He sniffed the air and then, realizing, licked her face sadly. Thomas and Key noticed the limp bundle in Saylee’s arms at the same moment.

“Dammit,” Thomas muttered, patting Teddy’s arm awkwardly. “Not again.”

“I’m so sorry, Saylee,” Key whimpered. “William…”

“Key, I know how much you like shouting at Archie,” Saylee said, striding past her, “but that’s the second time I’ve lost a Pokémon to these bastards, so the next time we see him, I’m having first crack at him. No matter how big you are, noses break easily.”

“He isn’t here, they say,” Key reported, wiping her eyes. “Just his admin, a woman called Shelly. On the top floor.”

“Right, then,” Saylee said, striding up the stairs. “She can consider herself claimed.”

“Have fun,” Thomas said as Teddy headed up the stairs after his trainer. Key watched her go, almost feeling relieved that Archie wasn’t there and sorry for whoever stood in Saylee’s way.

{}

Shelly was a statuesque stunner of a woman, with long waves of curly red hair spilling out from under her bandana, a crop-top version of the Aqua uniform to show off her athletic figure, and a condescending smirk as she turned away from the observation window on the Institute’s top floor. “You’re going to meddle in Team Aqua’s affairs?” she cooed. “You’re either absolutely fearless, simply ignorant, or both! How cute—“

“I’m not playing, bitch,” Saylee growled, stalking towards her with William wrapped in one of her shirts in her arms. “You got any Pokémon or do I have to come over there and slap you myself?”

“How rude,” Shelly complained, releasing a Carvanha. “Bite her!”

“Zac!” Saylee called. Zac immediately leapt forward, zapping the Carvanha with a thunderbolt. It hit the floor, unconscious. “Is that all you’ve got?”

“Not at all, little girl,” Shelly snarled. “Let’s see you take out Melanie like that!” A Mightyena appeared, snarling just like her trainer.

“I’m not going to waste a thunderbolt on a Mightyena,” Saylee said scornfully. “Teddy! Do your thing!” Melanie leapt on Zac anyway, but Teddy intercepted, kicking Melanie into the far wall, where she collapsed with a whimper.

“Melanie!” Shelly screeched angrily. “How DARE you?! It’s bad enough having that ridiculous Team Magma to deal with…” she returned Melanie and her Carvanha, grinding her teeth in anger. “What makes you want to sniff around in our business, anyway?”

“Well, I could talk about the good of mankind, but it would make me sound like _you_ ,” Saylee growled. She stepped forward and gently set William’s body down on a desk. His wings had faded to grey.  “So I’ve got two reasons to want to get rid of you all. This one’s name was William. The other one’s name was Winnie.”

Shelly’s eyes narrowed on William, then widened as she gasped, looking surprisingly horrified. “What happened?” she asked quietly.

“One of your flunkies downstairs,” Key said. She’d hung back to watch, amazed that Saylee hadn’t punched Shelly yet. “With a pair of Poochyena. They sneak-attacked, and…” she gestured helplessly at William.

“Your sneaks ganged up an’ killed William!” Teddy said angrily.

“A guy with two Poochyena… Dammit, Danny! Has to be! That son of a bitch has _had_ warnings about excessive force!” Shelly muttered to herself, turning away with a scowl. “I _warned_ him, if he got out of hand _one_ more time…”

“You’re not going to get out of this by throwing your teammates to the Mightyena,” Saylee snarled, stepping towards her, “though frankly I’m not surprised. _Your_ operation. _Your_ men. If you’re in charge, you’re just as responsible as them!” She tried to slap Shelly, but the woman ducked her.

“Worth a try,” she said, ducking away. Her comm buzzed. “What _now_? It better be impo—“ Some static crackled in the comm. Nobody but Shelly was close enough to hear what someone was saying. “Seriously? Damn it!” She slid the window open. “I don’t have time to play with you anymore! I am sorry about your Dustox, though,” she added, looking unexpectedly sincere. The look on her face confused Saylee just long enough for Shelly to leap out of the window.

“What the hell is she _doing_?” Key yelled, running to the window. “Oh, they caught her in a big flag… it’s got that skull-and-crossbones thing… why do they have something like that?” she asked, nonplussed.

“They’re making a run for it,” Thomas observed. “Are we going after them?”

“We have to see William off properly first,” Saylee said, stroking his soft grey wings. They crumbled slightly under her touch.

“I could burn ‘im real careful, then we could bury ‘im somewhere he won’t get washed away,” Teddy offered. “Somewhere real nice.”

“Hey, Saylee!” Zac called, running out of the office that Shelly had been in. He and Leslie were carrying something small and blue between them. “Look what we’ve found!”

“Um… hi,” the little blue thing squeaked, revealing itself to be a Pokémon. “Are you here to help, or am I being kidnapped again…?”

{}

“We can’t look after Cosmo properly, not with thugs like those around,” the lead scientist said apologetically, fidgeting nervously with his glasses. “And he seems to have really taken to you…”

Cosmo was a little grey Pokémon with a bulbous head that changed in shape and colour depending on his mood. It had been shaped like a little blue teardrop when the Linoone siblings had found him; now it was bright yellow and shining like a little sun. He was a Castform, a lab-created and bred Pokémon that could control the weather. He’d taken to Key after she’d rescued him from Zac and Leslie’s clutches and had turned to sun at her request.

“He’s dangerous,” Saylee said quietly. “You can really mess with the ecosystem if you muck about with the weather like that. And he’s just like a kid…”

“My dad could look after him,” Key suggested. “He’s good with normal-types, and he’s tough enough to handle any of those Magma or Aqua goons… plus, they probably wouldn’t think to look for him there. Us carrying him right to Aqua and Magma probably wouldn’t be smart, would it?” Saylee nodded in agreement. “What do you think, Cosmo?” Key asked, turning to the little Castform. “Can you go live with my dad?”

“Do I get to play there?” Cosmo said excitedly. “Oooh, I haven’t shown you my snow trick!”

“You can show Dad,” Key promised quickly. “If he says so.” She returned Cosmo and attached a note to his pokéball for Professor Birch to send him to her father. Normally, the Professor kept and cared for their Pokémon for them, but Cosmo looked like a handful. “Dad’ll deal with him if he messes around with the weather,” she told Saylee.

“Good to know,” Saylee said. She had scooped William’s ashes into an empty potion bottle with a distressingly practised air and was now clutching the bottle closely to her.

“We could take him to Mt Pyre,” Key said softly, nodding at the bottle. Saylee looked down at it in a surprised way, as if she’d almost forgotten she was holding it.

“What’s Mt Pyre?” she asked.

“The source of every ghost story I’ve ever heard,” Key said wryly. “It’s an island where Pokémon are buried. It’s sacred ground or something. I’m not sure what it’s sacred _to_ — one of the gods like Groudon or Kyogre or Rayquaza, or fairies like Jirachi, or what. Maybe it’s just sacred in a generalized holy way. Anyway, lots of people take their Pokémon there to be buried.”

“I didn’t bury Wanda there,” Saylee said sadly. “Or Nina… I said Marowak prayers for them, though. I hope they work here, too.”

“It’s gotta,” Key said with a shrug. “I suppose once you’re dead, _where_ you died doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“Carrie once told me that, when you die, your memories linger,” Saylee said, staring down at the bottle containing the physical remains of William. “And that the strongest memories are memories of _people._ Not the places you’ve been, but the friends and family that you went there with. Not the things you’ve done, but the people you did them with. So by that token, you’re probably right; it doesn’t matter _where_ you’re buried, just who buried you. Still,” she added, “I think I’ll take him to Mt Pyre. I think I’d like to see it.”

“It’s on the other side of Fortree City,” Key said, consulting her Pokénav map. “Erm… they say there are ghosts there, and, uh, worse than ghosts…”

“I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost,” Saylee quipped. “…Seriously, though, don’t be scared of ghosts. If something bad does happen, I know who to call.”

{}

It took them two more days from the Weather Institute to reach Fortree City. At first, Saylee hadn’t realized that they’d reached a city at all and wondered if they’d have to go through the forest to reach it. Then Key explained that the city _was_ the forest. Once Saylee knew what to look for, she soon spotted the complex, deeply carved and highly interconnected wooden houses that filled the trees above them.

“Fuchsia City back in Kanto’s a lot like this,” Saylee said as the climbed up the ladder lowered by a friendly local. “Only _in_ the trees, not on top of them.”

“Well, ma’am,” the man who’d lowered the ladder said, “they say, back in the day, villages were wiped out by Groudon and Kyogre fighting, and that the only reason any humans lived at all was because they hid up in big, tall trees with strong, deep roots. Fortree City was built by those survivors. I myself think that living up among all this green does wonders for one’s health.”

“It smells lovely up here,” Saylee said, taking a deep breath.

“I hear there’s a gym leader here, too,” Key ventured. “Winona? I’d like to battle her.”

“Well, you’re welcome to it if you can get to the gym,” the man said, a little awkwardly. “But, well… there’s something invisible blocking the way. Nobody can see what it is, but it scratches the hell out of your legs if you get too close.” He gestured to some bandages that were wrapped around his left calf, going all the way up under the hem of his shorts. “Some people think it’s ghosts, so close to Mt Pyre as we are _…_ ”

“Ghosts aren’t well known for _scratching_ ,” Saylee said thoughtfully. “Wait a moment…” she set her bag down and dug into it. The tool she was looking for had sunk to the bottom of the bag, since she hadn’t used it the entire time she was in Hoenn, but finally her hand closed around the special binoculars.

“What’re _those_?” Key said. Saylee held them up to her eyes, looking around.

“It’s a Silph Scope,” she said. “A ghost scope.” She pulled the scope away from her eyes again. “Can you show us the way to the gym, please?”

“Just along here,” the man said, leading them along a rope bridge that stretched between the trees. He strode confidently across the swaying bridge, but Saylee followed a little more cautiously, at a scurrying pace midway between going slow and cautious and getting off the bridge as fast as she possibly could.

“Are you afraid of heights?” Key asked, trying not to laugh as she followed at a pace that was slower than the Fortree native’s but still more comfortable than Saylee’s.

“I don’t mind being in high places as long as they’re solid,” Saylee said, looking visibly relieved as they stepped back onto a boardwalk surrounding a treehouse. “I just have a bad habit of falling off or down anything that it’s possible to fall down, and I don’t need rickety rope bridges making it any easier…”

“These bridges are stronger than they look,” the local man laughed. “Winona’s gym is up here, but…” He reached for the ladder, but something _screeched_ and a bleeding cut abruptly appeared on his finger. “Ow!”

“Stand back,” Saylee said, holding up the Silph Scope again. She looked up and down the ladder, then up into the trees, and then spun around in a circle as she looked all around. “I… can’t see anything,” she admitted eventually. “Everything looks normal. Here, I’ll see if Polly can smell anything.”

“Python too,” Key said, also releasing her Mightyena. “Two noses are better than one, after all… Thomas’ll like these trees, too.” The Grovyle seemed to sense the tall trees even before he was let out of his pokéball and materialized halfway up the one they were standing around.

“Where are we?” Polly asked, looking around.

“Fortree City,” Saylee said. “Polly, Python, can either of you smell anything on that ladder there?” The pair immediately began to sniff around the ladder.

“Yeah, I smell something,” Polly confirmed.

“I can’t see anything, though,” Python complained. “Let’s see if I can _bite_ —” he chomped down on something and grinned triumphantly. His teeth seemed to be locked on air, and Saylee still couldn’t see anything through the scope, but something was obviously ruffling the fur on Python’s muzzle. Then something else knocked him over.

“Peaches!” Polly leapt at the air around Python, but there weren’t any visible targets. The pair both thrashed around against seemingly empty air for several minutes before a flurry of leaves dropped down from above. They floated oddly for a few moments, as if resting on a dozen little heads, before being brushed off as whatever it was scurried away.

Thomas dropped down from the trees, kicking vaguely at the air. “They’re scurrying around up in the trees, too, whatever they are,” he complained. “Can’t see any of the stupid things.”

“Me neither,” Saylee said, staring at the Silph Scope in confusion. “Whatever it is, it’s _alive_ , just…”

“How long have you been _Peaches_ again?” Key asked Python curiously.

“Never to anyone that isn’t Polly,” Python grumbled irritably. He relaxed a little when Polly licked his cheek.

“How are we supposed to fight them if we can’t _see_ them?” Polly asked Saylee.

“There was a man here with a scope yesterday,” the local volunteered. “He was seeing _something_ through it and chased a bunch of whatever it is off to the east.”

“Really? Who was it?” Saylee asked curiously.

“Said he was a friend of Winona’s,” the man said thoughtfully. “Name of, uh… Steven?”

“ _Steven_?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guess what was awesome this weekend? Glasgow MCM. I mean, I really hope they get some bigger actors for the panels in future, because the biggest person there this year by a wide margin was Tomska, but there were some amazing cosplays and tons of great stalls. You just find some fantastic stuff in the Comic Village. (I think the huge number of nerds in costumes kinda freaked out the muggles who were going in for the UKIP rally…)
> 
> Anyway, we both received a Castform, but since I already caught an Oddish on Route 119 we decided that only Key’s counted for story purposes :P
> 
> Also, at this point in the game, Teddy and Thomas were pretty overlevelled, but Leslie, Manami and Topaz were RIDICULOUSLY so XD Then again, Key loses Pokémon less often than I do, which probably helps.
> 
>  
> 
> Saylee  
> RIP William the Dustox, level 5-33
> 
> Key  
> Name: Cosmo. Species: Castform. Nature: Naughty. Ability: Forecast. Level: 25


	18. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 5
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 23   
> Deaths: 2

To the east of Fortree was another patch of the awful tall grass, but skirting around the edge of it, Saylee and Key found a bridge across a river running to the south. Crouching in the middle of the bridge, peering through a set of blue-and-yellow binoculars, was none other than Steven Stone.

“Steven!” Saylee shouted, running over. She had released Teddy on the way out of the village, figuring that when in doubt your strongest Pokémon was your best bet, and so Steven looked up to see six of them—her, Key, Teddy, Thomas, Polly and Python. Key was excited to see him, but Polly and Python kept sniffing around nervously and Teddy had absorbed some of his trainer’s suspicion of the former champion. Every time Saylee saw Steven, she got a stronger feeling that something was _off_ about the man, but every time she tried to put her finger on _what_ , it slipped away from her. It unsettled her. Thomas, for his part, just didn’t care about anyone very much.

“Hmm?” Steven peered up at them, looking confused for a moment before he remembered to put down the scope. “Oh! Saylee and Key! So you made it here! Have you fought Winona yet?”

“We can’t get up into her gym,” Key explained. “Something invisible’s blocking our way…”

“Oh, I thought I’d chased out all the ones in Fortree,” Steven sighed. “More must have come back… Bohumir and I are about to deal with the gang blocking this bridge, would you like to help?”

“Gang of _what_?” Saylee asked, staring at the empty bridge.

Steven held the scope out to her. “Would you like to see?”

Saylee held the scope up to her eyes and stared. The world was rendered into shades of green and yellow, for the most part, but huddled in the middle of the bridge were a load of bright red lumps. When Saylee took the scope away from her eyes and wordlessly handed it to Key, she couldn’t see anything again.

“It’s a Devon infrared scope,” Steven explained, releasing Bohumir, who transpired to be a large brown Pokémon with a ring of bright pink eyes. Saylee’s Pokédex identified it as a Claydol, a Pokémon with both psychic powers and powers of earth. “Cold things are blue and green, warm things are yellow and orange, hot things red and white. Well, only _really_ hot things get white, like your Blaziken.” Saylee took back the scope and saw that Teddy was indeed a mass of white, with the air around him red. The others were all red, including Steven and Key. “Body heat tends to show up red. Whatever’s on the bridge is invisible, but it still gives off body heat, you see?”

“I can sense their minds as well,” Bohumir said.

“Just give them a little psybeam,” Steven said to his Claydol. “We just want to chase them off, not really hurt them.” Bohumir sent a gentle wave of psychic energy at the mass of heat on the bridge. One after another, the Pokémon became visible to the naked eye. They were small and squat, with large crests on their heads and red stripes on their bellies. Saylee’s Pokédex said _Kecleon_ , but the picture it had showed a green Pokémon, not the pink ones that were appearing on the bridge.

“They absorb the energy type of whatever attacks them,” Steven said, stepping carefully back. Some of the smaller Kecleon had scurried off, but the rest were growing angry and were shouting and sticking out their unfeasibly long tongues at them. “Guys, I asked you to leave peacefully and stop bothering this town. I told you I’d drive you off if you didn’t…”

The Kecleon only responded by continuing to yell abuse, some darting towards them with claws outstretched. Bohumir blocked the blows before they reached the humans.

“So they’re psychic now?” Saylee asked, looking to Polly and Python.

Key grinned. “You guys can see them now!” she said. “Bite ‘em!” Polly and Python leapt gleefully into the fray, snapping at any Kecleon that didn’t immediately flee from the intimidating Pokémon. Some of them turned black and suffered a Rock Smash from one of the Mightyena or a Double Kick from Teddy for it. None of them were strong or stupid enough to keep attacking after that.

“Sir,” Bohumir called sharply, “the bridge—“

Bohumir, floating in the air, wasn’t disturbed, but all those subject to the power of gravity felt the bridge shake. “Fall! Fall! Fall!” the Kecleon chanted, giggling as they clawed through the ropes holding up the bridges. “Fall into the water!”

“Look out!” Teddy yelled as the bridge gave way, grabbing for Saylee and leaping away before he fell into the water. Thomas jumped after him, but everyone else fell into the river. It wasn’t a long drop, but it was very wet, which was Teddy’s primary concern, along with getting his trainer out safely.

“Nice jump,” Thomas said appreciatively as they landed safely on the bank. “Oh, and thanks for getting my trainer. Appreciate it. But what about yours?”

Teddy looked down and was surprised to realize that the human arm that he’d grabbed was Key’s, not Saylee’s. “Whoops… um, you okay?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Key said as he set her down. She ran over to the edge of the bank, staring down into the river. “SAYLEE! STEVEN! PYTHON!”

“We’re okay!” Saylee shouted back up. She and Steven were treading water while Polly and Python doggy-paddled around them. “Just… wet…”

“The bank gets lower downstream!” Steven called, pointing south. “We’ll swim down there to climb up and meet you back at Fortree, okay?”

“Go on ahead, Teddy!” Saylee added. “We’ll catch up to you!”

“Ain’t you psychic, Bohumir?” Teddy asked the floating Pokémon. “Can’t you just levitate ‘em outta there?”

Bohumir blinked all his eyes.  “My kinetic powers are not… accurate,” he admitted reluctantly. “We’ve been working on it, but, well… probably not safe.” He sighed. “I hear swimming is good exercise for humans, anyway. I’ll float after them and see that they come to no harm.” He drifted away down the river after the two humans and two Mightyena that were swimming away.

{}

“So, this is your first time visiting Hoenn, right?” Steven said as he and Saylee started floating downstream. It was barely necessary to swim, since the gentle current of the river pushed them along at a steady pace. All they had to do was keep their heads above water. “How are you finding it?”

“Well… the weather’s nice,” Saylee said, looking up at the fluffy white clouds that were drifting through the sky. “You used to be Champion here, right?”

“That’s right,” Steven confirmed. “I retired a few years ago, though.”

“Were you a psychic specialist?” Saylee asked, gesturing to Bohumir, who was floating along the riverbank above them. “You have a Metagross, right? That’s half-psychic, like your Claydol.”

“Oh, no!” Steven laughed. “I’m a steel-type specialist! You have to love steel-types, don’t you? That particular texture! The cool and glowing bodies! Such uniquenesses are only for Steel-type Pokémon! When it comes to the solitariness and nobleness you sense through the rugged body, which is almost rebuffing when you hug, nothing comes close to Beldum, I must say…”

Saylee found herself gaping as Steven embarked on a long and shining rundown of the best things about every single steel-type Pokémon. His yellow eyes were actually glowing.

“…In short, my Metagross is truly strong and cool!” Steven sighed nearly half an hour later. “Don’t you agree?”

“Uh… yeah,” Saylee said, staring. “Listen, can I ask—?”

“Saylee, can I go in my pokéball?” Polly panted. “I’ve never swum this far before…” She and Python, fairly predictably, were employing the doggy-paddle to get downstream.

 “You should be able to float okay,” Saylee said, stroking her ears. “I do wish I could put you away, but I don’t think it’s safe to use your pokéballs until they dry out…”

“At least they’re waterproof,” Steven said, gently nudging a drifting Magikarp out of the way. “They’re not actually damaged by dunking them in the river. The first all-mechanical pokéballs couldn’t stand water at all. They’d spark out at a single drop, according to my father! It was luck of the draw if the Pokémon inside would be released or…”

“Your eyes are blue,” Saylee said abruptly, staring at him. She blushed when he floated onto his back and looked inquisitively at her. Key was right, he _was_ pretty hot, but still… “Don’t get any funny ideas, I’m spoken for. But before, the first time we saw you, your eyes were silver. Then the last time we saw you, when you were talking about Teddy, your eyes were red…”

“Oh,” Steven said, patting at one of his eyes as if he hadn’t noticed that he had them. “I think they’re called Glasz eyes. They don’t stay just one colour, they change all the time depending on the light, what I’m looking at, whatever. Quite rare, I’ve read… it hasn’t done my vision any harm.”

“It just looks strange,” Saylee commented, looking back at Polly and Python to make sure that they were still swimming along alright. “How long until we get to the lower banking?”

“It’s not far down from here,” Steven promised. “When we get back to Fortree, I’d better get back to work on chasing off the rest of those Kecleon. Normally they don’t live too near humans. They prefer the forests to the west of here…”

“Do they like rain?” Saylee asked.

“In moderation,” Steven said, with as much of a shrug as he could manage while floating in the current. “They’re rather fond of eating Wurmple, though, and if it rains too much the Wurmple don’t come out and they Kecleon can’t find anything to eat… why do you ask?”

Saylee looked incredulously at him. “How did you miss the torrential rainfall around the weather institute?”

“I didn’t really fly over it. I came straight here,” Steven said, nonplussed. “Why? Was the weather bad?”

“A storm was being deliberately brewed up by Team Aqua,” Saylee told him. “They were using an experimental Pokémon, Castform…”

“And they killed William,” Polly snarled. “Just like they killed Winnie before!”

Steven’s vision had darkened. “I’m very sorry to hear that,” he said sincerely. “Castform… I’ve heard of it, of course. They’re not actually lab-created, but they’re almost entirely lab-bred these days, since they’re very rare and their powers are very valuable. The Weather Institute, I hear, was hoping to breed one powerful enough to calm tsunamis coming in off of the sea…”

“So do you think Team Aqua was thinking,” Saylee suggested, “that a Pokémon powerful enough to calm tsunamis might just be powerful enough to cause one?”

Steven’s expression was very grave. “I also think that a Pokémon like that in the hands of a group dedicated to the expansion of the sea is a very bad thing indeed. If they got their hands on something stronger…” he glanced sidelong at Saylee. “…something like a god… they’d be unbeatable.”

“Nobody’s unbeatable,” Saylee said firmly. “Not even a god.”

“My, that’s not a very devout thing to say,” Steven laughed. “Don’t you believe in the power of the gods?”

“I’m not religious,” Saylee said. “Not to say I don’t think gods exist. I’ve met some. I have the phone numbers of a couple. But I’m not going to go around _believing_ in the bastards. It just encourages them.”

“Do you believe in anything?” Steven asked, grinning. He looked amused by Saylee’s opinion.

“No,” Saylee said. “Well, no gods or anything. I believe in my Pokémon…” she reached out of the water and scratched Polly’s ears, making the damp Mightyena smile. “…but that doesn’t make them almighty or invincible, does it?”

“Oh, you never know…” Steven said, eyes still bright blue and sparkling. “It just might.”

“Land!” Python yelped, paddling over to the riverbank, now a gentle slope into the river rather than a steep drop. He and Polly climbed onto land and immediately began to shake off.

“I do not envy you walking back with the smell of wet fur,” Steven chuckled, climbing onto the bank and extending a hand to Saylee to pull her up too. “I’m afraid I won’t be coming with you. If what you said about Team Aqua is true, well… there are a few things I have to check up on. Here, though.” He pressed the dripping Devon scope into her hands. “It’s a Devon product, so it’ll be fine once it dries out. If it’s not too much to ask, could you deal with the rest of the Kecleon? They might go home happily enough once they know that the rain’s stopped. Bohumir!” he called. His Claydol floated down to him. “We’d better head out towards Lilycove if we can. Once my Pokénav’s dried out, I need to call the League and see what their threat rating for Team Aqua is. Take care of yourself, Saylee, and say goodbye to Key for me too.”

“I will,” Saylee promised, watching him go. His eyes had turned pink when he’d talked to Bohumir.

“Kinda funny-smelling, isn’t he?” Python opined.

Polly nodded. “I can never figure out what it is, though,” she sighed. “Every time I try to think of what his scent reminds me of, all I can think of is human…”

“Whoever he is and whatever he’s up to, stalking isn’t our first priority right now,” Saylee said, shaking her hair out. “We’d better head back upstream and let Key, Teddy and Thomas know we’re okay. At least we climbed out on the right side of the river. I hope they can fix that bridge soon…”

{}

True to Steven’s prediction, the rest of the Kecleon were content to return to their natural forests when informed that the weather had cleared up, complaining about the lack of tasty bugs in Fortree. Finding them all was the hardest part of the task. They eventually just gave Thomas the scope and watched him vanish up into the trees. He’d locate and reach all of the remainders easily enough, and happily dish out a good kicking to any who didn’t leave.

“Tell me something,” Key said to Saylee. “How do you always end up alone with Steven? And, more importantly, do you _realize_ how much we could sell his autographs for online?”

“And somehow all I can think of is how I need to call Blue this evening,” Saylee said, combing out the damp ends of her hair with her fingers. “Seriously, I wish it didn’t keep happening. Especially since my favourite clothes now smell like wet fur.”

“Then go get a shower!” Key ordered, giving Saylee a push. “Go on. Thomas is my Pokémon, so we’ll handle the rest of the Kecleon. I need to book a battle with Winona tomorrow, anyway. Go!”

“Yes, ma’am,” Saylee said, trying to remember her way across the network of rope bridges that hooked the city together. After the afternoon’s misadventures, they made her even more nervous.

At least Saylee and Key were certain of a bed. The city was apparently quite a tourist spot, and they’d been offered the best rooms in the hotel in exchange for getting rid of the Kecleon invasion. The hotel had hot showers, too, and even a laundry service, which Saylee decided to indulge in after her shower. There were only so many times you could wash your clothes in river water before they really needed a proper wash.

Once thoroughly cleaned of river gunk, she wrapped herself up in all of the fluffy complimentary towels and collapsed onto her bed. Her neck and shoulders were sore from spending most of the afternoon swimming, but the hot water of the shower had pounded most of that out, and she was feeling pleasantly warm and heavy and had to reach for her pokégear before she fell asleep.

“ _Hey, it’s Blue, who is this?_ ”

“Hi, Blue. It’s me.”

“ _Speak of a Gengar… SG was just asking after you._ ”

“Oh, are they back?” Saylee said excitedly. “How did it go?”

“ _Apparently Resort Gorgeous is exactly what it says on the tin. She and her new husband are disgustingly happy and her Eevee team’s still reasonably badass. So I should be out there in Hoenn in a couple of weeks, once I’ve got her registered as covering the Viridian area._ ”

“That’s great!” Saylee said excitedly. “I can’t wait for you to meet Key. I think you two are going to have a lot to talk about, although I don’t think I’m going to like most of it.”

“ _I’d come out sooner, but you know the problem with putting in all this formal League stuff? People want to write_ everything _down, and sign everything, and suddenly there’s paperwork all over the place and you can’t do anything quickly. It sucks._ ”

“Yeah, but isn’t it nice to have time to spare on doing paperwork instead of scavenging and fighting for your life?” Saylee suggested. “And, for that matter, having the paper.”

“ _Yeah, I should count my blessings and… no, I can’t do it, paperwork still blows. Might try out that Hoenn gym thing just to feel active again. Oooh, or do you think there might be runaway Rockets hiding out in Hoenn whose asses need kicking_?”

Saylee groaned. “Don’t even joke about that, Aqua and Magma are bad enough.”

“ _They’re still a thing? I thought they were morons_?”

“Yeah, but they’re morons who are dedicated to their job,” Saylee said, “which is arguably more dangerous than greedy morons, because they don’t run away as much. Although they’re damn good at it when they do. We ran into Aqua again the other day ,and they got away again. What’s worrying is that they had gotten their hands on a Pokémon that can control the weather.”

“ _What, like a Dragonair_?”

“No, a little normal-type thing called a Castform,” Saylee explained. She relayed what Steven had told her. “They’re dedicated to the expansion of the sea, and Team Magma is dedicated to the expansion of the land. And I mean _dedicated_. They really, genuinely believe that they’re out to do the right thing, and they won’t stop until they achieve it. They… they killed William.”

“ _Your Dustox, right? Bastards…_ ” she could hear Blue grinding his teeth over the phone.

“Although… there seems to be a difference in ideology between the admins and the foot soldiers,” Saylee admitted. “The admin in charge of the operation was pretty pissed off when I told her about William’s death. Well, yelled at her… she could have been faking it, I suppose.”

“ _Either way, big trouble is about to happen, and I could get good odds in Celadon on you being slap-bang in the middle of it. Can you do me a favour and wait until I dock in Slateport, so I’ll be able to pull your stupid ass out of the fire?”_

“I’ll do my best,” Saylee promised. “I’d better go. I should call Mum soon or it’ll be too late in Sinnoh… call me if your plans change, okay? I’d like to come down to Slateport and meet you. For some reason, I miss you.”

“ _I miss you too, against all logic._ ” Saylee grinned. Both of them tended to get embarrassed around strong emotions and could only really handle them by taking the piss. “ _I love you, you moron._ ”

“Love you too, you jerk. See you soon.” Saylee blew him a kiss and hung up. Whatever the Teams of Hoenn were up to, it felt better to know that Blue would soon be fighting alongside her. It always did. She almost _wanted_ them to pull something, just so the two of them would get to kick some ass together.

She checked the clock. Sinnoh was a couple of hours ahead of Hoenn due to how far east it was. It was already ten at night there. Her mother would be going to bed soon. Still, Saylee would have time for a short chat. Saylee didn’t need to share the gory details about William and the criminal empires of Hoenn, not with her mother. She was living a new life in Sinnoh, a life of safety and comfort with a minimum of death and criminals and a gym leader husband to make sure that such things stayed at a minimum. That didn’t need to be disrupted by making her worry about Saylee. She and Byron both worried enough about Silver, and Saylee loved them for that. Silver wasn’t actually the son of either of them, but they still cared about him as if he was. It had changed Silver’s life, and he was a far cry from the lost, angry child that had first accosted Saylee outside of New Bark Town.

Another time, another place, another day… and somehow the same old criminal rubbish kept cropping up. _Story of my life_ , Saylee thought, dialling her mother’s number. She just had to hope it all came to the usual ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saylee  
> Name: Cassandra. Species: Absol. Nature: Hasty. Ability: Pressure. Location: Route 120. Level: 27
> 
> Key  
> Name: Kirsty. Species: Kecleon. Nature: Docile. Ability: Synchronize. Location: Route 120. Level: 30.


	19. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 5
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 23   
> Deaths: 2

“Are you ready for this, Leslie?” Key said, looking up the ladder to the gym. Leslie’s fur crackled with electricity. Saylee still didn’t quite understand how or why Zac and Leslie could learn thunderbolt, but the pair were having fun with it thus far, and Leslie looked about to have a lot more. “Time for our sixth badge!”

“Zac,” Saylee said, releasing her own Linoone, “why don’t you go cheer for your sister on my behalf?”

“On your behalf?” Key said with a frown. “Aren’t you coming in?”

“No…” Saylee resisted the urge to glance over her shoulder. “I saw someone following us from the hotel,” she murmured, not looking around or changing her expression. “I’ll deal with them. Don’t worry about it. _Don’t look around_!”

“Call me if you need me, alright?” Key muttered, tapping her Pokénav. “I mean it.”

“I’ll be fine,” Saylee promised, digging the Devon scope out of her bag and looking around as if for stray Kecleon. “Good luck with your battle!”

“Won’t need it, but thanks!” Key called, beginning to climb up the ladder to Winona’s gym. Leslie and Zac scurried up the ladder after her. Saylee nonchalantly looked around. The infrared scope really was useful; she could see the faint red shapes of every person in Fortree, every bug and bird in the trees and every grass-type that foraged down below.

When she climbed down to the forest floor, she could see two human figures following her, hidden behind a tree though they were. She wandered to the outskirts of the city, releasing Skye on the way to deal with wild Pokémon that challenged them. She also released Sanborn. He was a Sandshrew that she’d captured back in the desert. She’d liked the mischievous little trickster who’d hidden himself in the sandstorm to play pranks on passersby, but when Steele had left she’d needed Skye’s wings more than his claws. He wasn’t quite up to the power levels of the rest of the team, but Saylee knew that he could be powerful given the right training.

Soon after she’d caught him, Wanda had died. Now with William dead, Sanborn was seeing action. Saylee had heard some people say that there was no such thing as coincidence, just tricks of the gods. Saylee really hoped that there wasn’t a god behind this one. You could do more than just split your knuckles by punching a god in the face.

Saylee crouched down, gesturing Skye and Sanborn close to quietly explain what was going to happen. Then she straightened up and looked straight at the tree that she knew her stalkers to be hiding behind.

“You can come out now,” she called. “I _know_ you’re there. You followed us out of the hotel. You’d better not be Geisha, because seriously, if you ladies have started following me to other countries then I’m filing a restraining order against your entire order.” She looked at her Swablu. “Skye, if they don’t come out in the next few minutes… remember that move I taught you?”

“Steel wing?” Skye flapped her wings and the cotton turned to steel. “Sure thang, darlin’.”

“Don’t attack us!” A woman ran around the tree, hands held in the air. “Sorry if we freaked you out! We just want an interview!” A man followed her out, carrying a bulky camera over one shoulder.

“Interview…?” It took Saylee a few moments to figure out where she’d seen the woman before. “Oh, wait, I think I saw you on TV once… you’re that reporter, uh…”

“Gabby!” the woman said, looking frustrated when Saylee couldn’t remember her name. “And this is my loyal cameraman, Ty. Are you Saylee, then? We got a tip that two girls rescued the Weather Institute: Norman’s daughter Key and a foreign woman called Saylee. When I heard that, I thought to myself—‘could it be?’ Are you _the_ Sar Saylee of Kanto?”

“That’s me,” Saylee said warily. “Look, I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I once saw you reporting on the twins at Mossdeep gym, and when you say ‘interview’, do you mean…”

“There’s only one way to properly interview trainers!” Gabby said brightly, releasing a Loudred. Ty released a Magneton and clicked down the eyepiece of his camera.

“Do we have permission to use your image on film, miss?” he asked. Gabby glared at him. “Gabby, you know it’s more than my job’s worth to roll without permission…”

“Fine,” Saylee said, glancing at Skye and Sanborn. “Key’s busy with a gym battle right now, but you can have your ‘interview’ with me.”

“Aww yeah, let’s do this!” Sanborn said excitedly, baring his tiny claws at the enemy Pokémon. The Loudred laughed.

“He looks like he should be on the kids’ channel, doesn’t he, Mackel?” she said to the Magneton.

“They both do,” Mackel buzzed, peering at Skye. “I thought Indigo knights were _powerful_ trainers?”

“Don’t underestimate her, Mackel! Now, no more chatter, let’s roll!” Gabby called. Ty gave her a thumbs-up. “Lissa! Uproar that Sandshrew!” The Loudred opened her mouth wide and roared at Sanborn, knocking him back on waves of sonic force.

“I gotcha, darlin’!” Skye called, snatching him up and frantically flapping her wings to lift him out of the way.

“Thunder Wave, Mackel!” Ty called. His Magneton blasted out a wave of electricity that didn’t affect Sanborn, but knocked Skye out of the air with a shriek. “Now, Spark!”

“Now get back and watch!” Saylee called, flinging out two more pokéballs. “Teddy, Molly, you got this, right?”

Mackel slammed into Teddy’s chest, sparking. The tall Blaziken flinched, but wasn’t seriously damaged. “Don’t worry, we have this,” Molly assured Skye and Sanborn, stepping around Teddy and squaring up to Lissa.

“Blaze Kick and Rollout!” Saylee ordered. Teddy spun around, raising one leg in the air as it caught fire, slamming a vicious burning kick into Mackel that send him shooting over Ty’s shoulder. Ty started to turn to watch but caught himself and turned the camera back as Molly went rolling towards Lissa, knocking her down but not out.

“Stomp, Lissa! Stop her rolling!” Gabby ordered. Lissa raised her foot as Molly circled around, rolling back harder and faster, but Teddy leapt in the way, taking the attack for minimal damage and pushing her off-balance. He leapt out of the way just as Molly barrelled past, slamming into Lissa and finally knocking her out.

“That was sweet, yo!” Sanborn hooted.

“Thanks for the hand there,” Molly said, reaching up to fistbump Teddy.

“Ain’t nuthin’,” Teddy said. “We make a darn good team.”

“You sure do! Wave for the camera, you two!” Gabby said, returning Lissa. “Teddy and Molly, everybody! These are the kind of Pokémon that—”

“Hon?” Skye said, starting to fly over to Saylee. “Somethin’s feelin’ kinda funny…” her cottony feathers were massively expanding and multiplying in mass. Sanborn was twisting his head around to try and watch the spines rising out of his back.

“You’re both evolving!” Saylee said happily, flicking open her pokédex and taking the readings of _Altaria_ and _Sandslash_. “I knew you had it in you.”

“Congratulations, y’all!” Teddy said proudly. Sanborn flicked his spines curiously. Skye stretched her longer neck.

“A double evolution!” Gabby said excitedly into the camera. “Truly, only a Knight of the Realm could cause such a spectacular transformation!”

“Hey, uh, hold up,” Saylee said, darting over to Gabby and putting her hand over the woman’s microphone. “I just need to ask; how well-known is it that I’m a knight and that I’m here?”

“Not very, that’s why this’ll be such a scoop!” Gabby said excitedly. “Obviously, the security camera footage from the Oceanic Museum and the Weather Institute aren’t public record, but when we saw them, well, I recognized your face straight away from the coverage of the Rocket incidents! Once this hits the air—”

“Look, I’ll let you in on another little scoop here,” Saylee interjected. “There are two criminal gangs running loose in this country. So far, we’ve beaten four of their operations, and none of them have shown any sign of knowing who I am beyond ‘that pain in the ass’. I’m trying to get my regular team in to take them down once and for all, and it suits me for them to be underestimating me instead of being on red alert, okay?”

“Your regular team?” Ty asked, lowering the camera to indicate that it was off. “Why didn’t you ‘port ‘em in when you got here?”

“I tried, but a computer glitch is giving me problems,” Saylee admitted. “I don’t want to take any risks with the safety of my Pokémon.”

“Really?” Gabby said in surprise, glancing at Ty. “Hmm… do you think you could tell us more about that? We need a quick post-battle interview anyw—”

“Let’s not,” Saylee said, sticking her hand over the camera this time. “If you can do me a favour and not broadcast my name all over the country, I promise you an exclusive interview when it’s all over, okay?”

“And a press pass to Kanto,” Gabby said, holding out her hand. Saylee shook it. “Score! C’mon, Ty, let’s get this to editing. I wanna have our desk cleared and ready to go as soon as those passes come through!” The two reporters ran off excitedly down the river.

“What’s goin’ on, darlin’?” Skye asked, flying slowly towards Saylee. Her cloudlike body floated even without her flapping her wings.

“Y’all been talkin’ ‘bout a whole lotta things ah don’t rightfully understand,” Teddy said, crossing his arms. “Those folks on the level?”

“I think so,” Saylee said, watching Gabby and Ty go. “I’ve caught them on TV a couple of times, and they’re never covering big stories. Some of the stuff I could tell them could make them, and they know it. C’mon, guys, le’ts go see how Key’s doing.”

{}

“How’d your gym battle go?” Saylee asked as Key leapt down the last couple of rungs of the rope ladder to Fortree Gym Leslie scurried down after her with a satisfied grin. Zac just jumped all the way down, flicking his ears excitedly.

Key flashed her new badge. “Leslie and Manami wrecked everything,” she said proudly. Zac licked Leslie’s ear. “Anything interesting happen to you?”

“Skye and Sanborn evolved… I’ll show you as soon as we’re out of town,” Saylee said, nodding towards the path out of Fortree. “I thought we were being followed, and it turns out I was right. It wasn’t anything sinister, though, just a couple of reporters. But I deemed having our names and faces broadcast across Hoenn inauspicious at this time, so I struck a deal with them to get them to bugger off and keep quiet. Striking the deal included fighting them, so…” as they passed the “Welcome to Fortree” sign, she released her new Altaria and Sandslash.

Leslie’s eyes widened and her tail shot up. She ran around Skye and Sanborn, sniffing them excitedly. “Awesome!” Zac said, joining the sniffing.

“Skye, you look so fluffy!” Key squealed. “Can I hug you?”

“Sure thing, darlin’,” Skye giggled, spreading her wings and allowing Key to glomp her soft, cottony feathers.

“Well, ‘scuse _me_ if I ain’t all cute an’ fluffy,” Sanborn said, flaring up his spikes. “Me, I don’t need no fluff. Check this out!” He proudly showed off his long, vicious claws

“Cool!” Key said appreciatively. “Like Quillamina, only not red.”

“A red Sandslash?” Saylee asked curiously.

“One of the girls who used to live at the orphanage had her,” Key said, reaching out and stroking one of Sanborn’s spines. “She was kinda crazy.”

Saylee released Polly, Molly and Teddy to join the rest of her team. “Leslie and Manami won,” she reported to much cheering. “Shall we press on? I hear Mt Pyre’s only a couple of days away. I owe it a visit.”

“The mountain of the dead?” Key said with a nod, starting to release the rest of her Pokémon so they could see Skye and Sanborn. “You’re right. But let’s make it quick, okay?”

{}

“Where did this come from?” Key complained, peering out from under her umbrella at the grey sky above.

“I guess Team Aqua’s shenanigans at the Weather Institute messed up the local weather,” Saylee said, holding out her hand in the rain and then tucking it back into the pocket of her hoodie. “It’ll take a while to right itself. Have I told you how _weird_ warm rain is? I feel like I could stay out in it all day no trouble.”

“Even if it’s warm, that still sounds like a recipe for pneumonia,” Key said warningly.

“It’s lovely, though, isn’t it?” Molly said happily. She and Manami were the only two Pokémon still out of their pokéballs in the downpour, and were splashing on ahead, enjoying the rain and gossiping about whether or not Sanborn had blushed when Leslie had given him a congratulatory lick on the cheek. General consensus seemed to be that they’d make a cute couple.

“I wonder what that is,” Key said, looking up at a small hillock that rose above them. A bald stone mound rose out of the vibrant greenery, surrounded by a circle of standing stones. Tents were set up between them.

“Archaeological research, maybe?” Saylee said, noting the large size and uniform white colour and design of the tents. “Hmm. Actually, hold on. I want to check something out. Maybe archaeologists will have the answers.” The hillock wasn’t particularly steep, but the rain made it slick with mud. Saylee scrambled up it, pulling on the branches of bushes and digging the toes of her shoes in the mud. “You guys just wait there!”

“Whatever are you _doing_?” Molly called.

“The stones!” Saylee yelled as she reached the top of the hill. Her shins were splattered with mud, but standing on one leg and sticking the other out into the rain cleaned them up easily enough. Once clean, she made for the nearest tent. “Excuse me?” she called, tapping the canvas door of the tent. “Is anybody here?”

“Hello?” a man said, pushing aside the flap of the tent and peering out. He had pale orange hair and was holding a tiny brush and a chisel. “Can I help you?”

“I’m just curious as to what this is,” Saylee said, waving her hand at the dome of rock. “It reminds me of a similar mound that I once saw in the Sevii Islands.”

“Ah, yes, the architectural style and stonework is very similar to the three mounds found in the Sevii Islands, isn’t it? Very odd,” the man said happily, glancing at the mound. “Come on in out of the rain. Are you an archaeologist yourself?”

“It’s only a passing hobby,” Saylee said, looking around the tent. It was clearly a workstation; a number of collapsible tables had been set up, with their illuminated surfaces making the various artefacts on them easy to see. Some were soaking in trays of fluid, and others were being carefully brushed and cleaned by intent archaeologists. “I just have a couple of questions, I hope I’m not intruding—”

“No, we’re always happy to talk to someone who’s interested!” the man said enthusiastically. His coworkers glances up; some smiled or rolled their eyes before returning to their work. “I’m Henry. Very nice to meet you.”

“Saylee,” Saylee said, shaking his hand. “I didn’t see standing stones like these around the dome I saw in the Sevii Islands. I only saw one; you said there are three?”

“There are indeed,” Henry said. “True, they don’t have standing stones. What they do have are entrances and exits; this one doesn’t.”

“So do you know what’s inside?” Saylee asked.

“3-D scanning reveals nothing, sadly,” Henry sighed, “and, well… there have been expeditions recorded as breaking this mound open to enter it. But then the entrances vanish.”

“The last two times it happened, people were still inside at the time,” a woman sitting at the table closest to them added. “They’ve never been seen again. The second expedition didn’t even find the remains of the first. The only reports received before they vanished speak of darkness. The Hoenn Board of Archaeology has banned further attempts to open the mound.” She didn’t look up from the old scroll that she was working on, gently using some kind of cleaning fluid to remove water stains from the scroll but, crucially, not the ink. At first glance, it appeared to be covered in a complex pattern of dots. Saylee glanced over it, then did a double-take.

“Is that writing?” she asked, pointing at the scroll.

“Good eye,” the woman said approvingly, brushing some of her dark brown hair out of her eyes and looking up. “Repetitions in the dot patterns suggest it is, which makes it the only ancient language to be based on neither pictograms nor the Unown. We just can’t figure out what it _says_. It’s very complex. Samples have been found across Hoenn, but it doesn’t match any known language. Nobody’s cracked it yet.”

Saylee nodded, trying not to let her eyes visibly track across the parchment as she read it. It was an epic poem about a warrior of ice defending humanity. Her hand moved slowly towards her bag pocket where her dreamcatcher was kept, with the red and blue stones hanging from it. _Is this your doing?_ She wondered. _Your language? Are there more important things to be read around here than the ancient equivalent of an action movie_?

“This might be a shot in the dark,” Saylee said, opening the bag in her pocket and pulling out the stones, “but have you ever seen anything like these? They were stolen from the mounds in the Sevii Islands.”

“Uncut ruby and sapphire, aren’t they?” Henry asked. The woman sitting next to them set down her implements and held out her hand questioningly, and Saylee set the stones in her palm. A few other archaeologists looked up curiously before returning to their work.

“Hold them up to your ears,” Saylee suggest. The woman gave her an odd look, but did so, holding up first the ruby and then the sapphire, confusion turning to curiosity and then to utter astonishment as she tried them both again.

“Megan, _listen_ to these!” she gasped, shoving them into the hand of the plump, ruddy-faced blond sitting next to her. Megan’s eyes widened as she tried it. “You hear it, right?”

“Ocean waves…” Megan said, holding the sapphire up to her ear, then replacing it with the ruby, “…and a volcanic eruption! This is… is this what I think it is?”

“Are you serious?” a man with coal-black skin and short silver hair said, running over to peer at the stones. “Let me hear them… wow! It’s true!”

“Do any of you know what they could be?” Saylee asked, watching the shards _very_ closely as the excited archaeologists passed them around.

“What they could be is the key to a three-thousand-year-old archaeological mystery!” the first woman said excitedly. “You must take these to Mt Pyre!”

“The grave mountain?” Saylee said in surprise. “Why?”

“The old couple who organize the care and maintenance of the graves live up in a house on top of Mt Pyre,” Megan explained in an excited babble. “In their keeping—” She bit her lip.

“That is an important scientific secret,” the dark-skinned man admonished her. “Sorry, ma’am, but we can’t really tell you about these…”

Saylee unzipped her hoodie and pulled open the right side, revealing her Draconic Emblem pinned inside. “You can trust me,” she said, unpinning the emblem and holding it out in her hand. Henry reached out and touched it, snatching his hand back quickly.

“It’s real,” he said in surprise. “Forgive us, Sar…”

“Why? It’s not like I told you already,” Saylee said with a smile. “Now, please tell me what’s on top of Mt Pyre.”

“Two cracked orbs, one apparently made of ruby, the other of sapphire, but…” she grinned, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Aside from the cracks, they’re flawless. Their surfaces are perfectly smooth and spherical, which shouldn’t be possible with ruby and sapphire. There are all sorts of stories about them, but we don’t know anything for sure… but if you hold them up to your ears, you hear the same things you do when you hold up those shards!”

“We call them the Red and Blue Orbs,” the first woman said, handing the shards back to Saylee, “and the most common theory is that they exist to seal the powers of Groudon and Kyogre!”


	20. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 5
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 23   
> Deaths: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's late--I almost forgot to post this because I was too busy watching the new Korra trailer ten thousand times. Between this and new Super Smash Brothers (WITH LUCINA), I am not emotionally prepared for this Friday.

“We think these are them here, but without colored ink or any way of reading the dots…” explained the dark-skinned man with purple hair, whose name was Paul, as he carefully rolled out a torn scroll. Parts of it were attached together with wire, tearing one of the images of an orb in half. The other Orb image was intact, and the pair of them were side-by-side in the middle of a block of dot text. Saylee skimmed over it, trying not to look like she was actually reading it, but couldn’t help a frown as her eyes seemed to skip. _These sentences… don’t fit together…? Is something missing…?_

From what she could read, however, it seemed that the Orbs had been created by an extraordinarily powerful human psychic named “Lord Alderbraand” for… some words were cut off in the middle, but it did indeed seem to be to do with Groudon and Kyogre. The scroll seemed to contain orders to do with the breaking of the orbs, but it sounded like it wasn’t an accident. There was something about the orbs not functioning properly, but those sentences too were broken by the tearing of the scroll. _If these are the missing pieces of the Orbs…_ she thought, looking down at the shards. _Could the Orbs be repaired by reuniting them?_ Should _they be repaired? If these were to seal away Groudon and Kyogre’s power…_

“You absolutely _must_ take these to Mt. Pyre,” Henry said excitedly. “The gravekeepers’ family has guarded these Orbs for millennia! They know more about them than anyone!”

“Could that be dangerous, though?” Saylee asked. “I mean, if these things really do contain Groudon and Kyogre’s powers, isn’t it better to keep them broken? What if completing them wakes Groudon and Kyogre up? We don’t know what would happen…”

“But that’s exactly why we have to do it!” Megan insisted, her orange eyes practically glowing. “Think of the scientific knowledge to be gained, especially now that we can _talk_ to them! Wouldn’t it be amazing to speak to Pokémon that have been shaping this world since ancient times?”

 _I’m starting to understand why Sir Alderbraand hid these all the way out in the Sevii Islands…_ Saylee thought, rebagging and pocketing the stones. “I’m going to Mt Pyre anyway to visit some graves,” she said. “Thanks for letting me know about the couple there. I’ll talk to them.”

“Brilliant!” Henry cried, wringing her hand. “Everyone, finish what you’re working on so we can break camp and make our own way to Mt. Pyre! Spread the word, everyone, packed up and ready to go in the morning!” Several people immediately got up and went into a flurry of packing, while others bent industriously over the items they were cleaning or repairing.

“Thanks for your help!” Saylee called, ducking out of the tent and pulling up her hood as she stepped back into the rain.

Back at the bottom of the hill, Molly and Manami were practicing their Ice Beam on puddles, and Key was skating back and forth on the results. “Welcome back,” said Manami, the first one to notice Saylee slipping back down the hill, largely on her bottom thanks to the slick mud and steep incline.

“So did you find out what your stones are?” Key asked, sliding slowly towards her friend. “And was it worth getting covered in mud for? Because interesting as those weird rocks are, there’s not a lot that’s worth getting covered in that much mud for me.”

“Thanks, Molly,” Saylee said as her Azumarill sprayed mud off the back of her legs. It wasn’t like it made her any wetter than she already was in the heavy rain. “And maybe. They could apparently be the keys to unlocking the true power of Groudon and Kyogre.”

“Oooo… good thing Magma and Aqua don’t know you have them, eh?” Key pointed out.

Saylee shuddered. “Don’t even _joke_ about that,” she said. “Anyway, we need to go to the top of Mt Pyre to find out. Could be that we get up there and it’s nothing at all.”

{}

The next day was hot and bright; all the clouds had rained off, leaving the sky clear and the air baking. They got everyone out for breakfast and training, but Polly and Python were soon panting heavily, and Zac and Leslie spent most of their time running around to stay in the shadows of Topaz and Shikoba flying overhead. Skye looked like the only cloud in the sky. Almost all of them were soon feeling the heat too much to train, so they kept slogging on towards Mt Pyre.

“Hey, you doin’ okay?” Teddy asked Thomas, reaching out to his visibly wilting friend.

“Back off, you blast furnace,” Thomas snapped. “It’s hot enough out here as it is.” He started when Manami sprayed a cooling mist at him.

“Is that better?” she asked, smiling sweetly.

“Uh, yeah, that’s great,” Thomas said, immediately jumping to walk next to her as she produced more mist.

“Didn’t know you could do that,” Key said, shielding her eyes from the sun.

“You couldn’t do us some of that, could you?” Saylee asked Molly. The Azumarill obliged with a cool spray.

“Hey, I smell water!” Python yapped excitedly, darting over and nuzzling his way between Saylee and Key.

“Me too!” Polly agreed, running around Molly and lapping at the mist.

Slowly, ahead of them, blue sky gave way to a wall of white mist. As they drew closer, walking along the fenced-off cliff edge, the dark bulk of Mt Pyre slowly loomed out of the mist.

Topaz, Shikoba and Skye swooped down to land on the fence ahead of them. “We’ve missed the last boat,” Topaz said, flicking her tail over the railing. Saylee leaned over and peered down at the sparkling blue lake that surrounded Mt Pyre. A speedboat was pulling away from the jetty below. Saylee gasped sharply. Polly and Python sniffed the air and growled.

“Key,” Saylee said, pointing at the boat. “Are you seeing this?”

Key stared too, then facepalmed. They were high above the water, but not too high to see what the people in the boat were wearing.

“Oh, you’re kidding me,” Thomas complained, hopping onto the railing. “You _are_ joking, right?”

“Oh, damn,” Saylee sighed, slumping back. “And here I was hoping that boat full of Aquas was just a mirage.”

“We’re gon’ have ta get ourselves over ta that island,” Teddy said, peering somewhat nervously at the lake. He had no external flames, but water was still not a comfortable experience for him.

“How the hell we gonna do that without a boat?” Sanborn wanted to know.

“Skye?” Saylee asked. “You’ve only been an Altaria for a couple of days. How do you feel? How strong do you think you are?”

“Am I strong enough ta do this, y’mean?” Skye said, swooping around her trainer and scooping her trainer onto her back. Saylee giggled involuntarily as the cottony feathers tickled her all over, even feeling just as soft on scar tissue that was normally less sensitive.

“Perfect,” Saylee said. “Alright, everybody else away for now except Shikoba and Topaz. Let’s get to Mt Pyre.”

“See you on the other side,” Thomas said with a smirk a moment before he vanished.

{}

“I can’t see through this to land,” Topaz said, wings buzzing to keep her hovering in the mist.

“I thought you could see through sandstorms?” Key asked.

“Well, _sand_ , sure,” Topaz said, peering around at her trainer through the transparent red shell over her eyes. “ _Sand_ bounces right off. This… _clings_.”

“Sorry, darlin’, I can’t see a thang neither,” Skye said apologetically. “Fogs ain’t the same as clouds. What ‘bout you, huh?” she asked Shikoba. “Weren’t you sayin’ you could see through anythin’?”

“Forgive me, ladies,” Shikoba said, swooping around them. “Normally, I can see through mist. This… isn’t just water…” he peered around nervously. “I can’t see a damn thing.”

“Looks like we can’t fly to the top, then,” Saylee sighed. “Find somewhere you can see to land, anywhere at all.”

They ended up landing near the base of the mountain, just below the denser fog. Saylee shivered as an unpleasantly familiar clammy feeling wrapped around her.

“Brr! It’s _cold_ here,” Key said, hugging herself and peering around, squinting at the vague shapes of crumbling gravestones visible through the fog.

“I’m going to regret this,” Saylee said, digging out her Silph Scope. When she pressed it to her glasses, angry faces floated out of the mist towards her. “…yyyyyyyyyyyeah, that feels like regret.”

“What _is_ that?” Key asked, pointing at the scope.

“A prototype for Silph’s ghost scope,” Saylee said, taking the clunky white device away from her eyes. “I keep meaning to actually buy a proper one, but, y’know, when there isn’t a horde of angry ghosts around you, other things seem more important… Anyway, it allows you to see the true nature of ghosts and see through their illusions..." she trailed off as she noticed a pale blue light bobbing towards them. Two more flickered into being on either side of it.

“Uh, Saylee?” Key said, looking behind her. Saylee turned to see that more lights were approaching them. They were encircled by flickering blue lights.

“They’re not ghosts,” Saylee said, peering through the scope for a moment. It made no difference to the lights, but it did tell her that the ghosts in the area were actually moving away from them.

“Well, what _are_ they then?” Topaz said nervously. The five of them shuffled closer to each other, trying to watch the lights. They resolved themselves into tiny balls of blue fire, which began to attack them, pelting them with miniature orbs of flame.

“Spread ‘em, girls!” Shikoba shrieked, spreading his wings to shield Key. Skye and Topaz followed suit, trying to protect the much more fragile humans from the small but potent fire; the hem of Key’s shirt briefly caught alight.

“Molly, Bubblebeam!” Saylee screamed, releasing her Azumarill and pointing at Key. Molly quickly sprayed out the fire with a water gun, then turned her attention to the fireballs all around them.

“Thanks!” Key gasped, releasing Manami. “You too! Fire into the mist! Try and hit what’s attacking us!”

While Molly shot down the fireballs, Manami sprayed a Bubblebeam into the mist. There was a series of _yelps_ in the mist and the fire stopped.

“I see one!” Key said, ducking under Topaz’s wing and running over to a small dark form in the mist. “Oh… what is it?”

“A Vulpix?” Saylee said, crouching by the side of the injured fire Pokémon. It was covered in bleeding injuries that couldn’t have been caused by the bubbles. Saylee walked around and found the others; none were critically injured, merely knocked down and whimpering from the bubbles and their previous injuries. She stopped by one with eight tails, assuming it to be the pack leader.

“Hello,” she said softly, reaching into her bag for a bottle of potion. Small dark eyes peered warily at her. “Are you grave guardians? I swear, we’re not here to harm them.” She held out the potion for the Vulpix to smell. It sniffed it and nodded, allowing Saylee to spray the healing salve over the worst of the wounds. They mostly looked like the marks of claws and teeth. _Poochyena? Zubat? Carvanha?_ “I swear on the souls of my dead that we are here to help.”

The Vulpix barked out a bitter laugh. “That’s what… the ones before… said…” she snapped. “Said they’d… chase away the ones… who came before… thieves, all of you…”

“We’re not!” Key insisted. She suddenly stiffened, going sheet-white. “Saylee… there’s something on my head,” she whimpered.

“I don’t see anything,” Topaz said, staring at her trainer in confusion.

Saylee stepped away from the feebly stirring Vulpix and lifted the Silph Scope to her eyes again. “Bloody hell,” she whispered, staring in shock.

An invisible Beautifly had settled on Key’s head, flapping her wings at any other ghost that got near her.

“Saylee?” a voice whispered behind her. Saylee turned and gaped through the Scope at the Dustox that fluttered towards her.

“W… William?” she said, willing her voice not to crack. She’d lost Pokémon before, sure, lost plenty, but she’d never before been confronted with the _ghost_ of one of them. The closest thing to this she’d ever felt was…

“…”

“William?!” Molly gasped, looking around frantically. “Saylee, what are you saying? William’s… he’s—”

“Right in front of me,” Saylee said, “and Wanda is in Key’s hair.” Key gasped sharply, tears starting to trickle down her cheeks as she reached up with trembling hands and felt nothing.

“It’s them, Saylee,” William said, his voice like a distant echo. “Magma… Aqua… it’s them, they’re here… _stealing_ …”

“Spirit,” the eight-tailed Vulpix said, staring directly at William, “can you vouch for these humans’ good intentions?”

“They’ll help,” Wanda insisted. Key pressed her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob at the faint sound of her dead Beautifly’s voice. “They’ll help you drive away the thieves… then we can rest…”

Saylee’s own eyes were beginning to brim over as she looked around and saw the other figures forming from the fog—Makuhita, Nincada, Wingull, surrounding them and protecting them from the angrier spirits of the mountain.

“The spirits do not lie,” the Vulpix said with a nod. “I shall lead you to the summit. This way…”

“Come on,” Makoto whispered, holding out his chubby little hand for her. “They didn’t kill me, but they shouldn’t be here.”

“We can’t rest with them here,” Winnie added. “But we know you can make them go away…”

“We will,” Saylee said, choking the words out over the lump in her throat as she reached for her pokéballs to release her living Pokémon. Teddy, Sanborn, Polly and Zac looked confused when they materialized to see Molly, Manami, Key and Saylee all in tears.

“Hey now, what’s wrong, Molly?” Teddy asked with concern as Key released her Pokémon.

“Oh, Teddy… they’re all here!” Molly sobbed, waving her arm vaguely at the fog. “I heard them! William… Makoto… Nina… even Winnie…” Polly and Python sniffed the air and exchanged shocked looks.

“Wait… aren’t they all, you know… _dead_?” Thomas pointed out, looking around uneasily. “I don’t see anybody…”

“We’re here, Thomas,” Wanda said softly. Thomas genuinely jumped, backflipping about a foot and staring at his trainer’s head.

“All of the spirits have been roused by the thieves at the peak of the mountain,” the Vulpix said, beginning to pad away from them, weaving between the gravestones. They quickly moved to follow her before she was swallowed by the mist. “Even the dead fear what might come to pass if they steal the Orbs, if the prophecies are realized…”

“And what do the prophecies say’s going to happen?” Key asked.

“Destruction,” the Vulpix said simply. “Calamity calls when the true power of the Orbs is unlocked…”

Saylee’s hand drifted over the pocket in her bag where the stone fragments were kept. _But the Orbs are useless without these… right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saylee
> 
> Key  
> Name: Sheba. Species: Shuppet. Nature: Lax. Ability: Insomnia. Location: Mt Pyre.


	21. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 5
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 23   
> Deaths: 2

Archie couldn’t help a victorious grin as he wrapped his hands around the Red Orb. Marc might have beaten him to the top of Mt Pyre, but the old bastard hadn’t thought to take the Orb that Archie needed, the Orb that would summon Kyogre. At last, he could finish his father’s work and have his revenge…

“We’d better move, boss,” Matt said, sticking his head through the door of the old couple’s bedroom. The couple themselves were making a racket, banging on the door to the bathroom that they had been barricaded into. The Orbs had been in a chest in a trapdoor under their bed—sturdy, secure and mildly secret, but the locks were ancient key locks without any sort of protective ID technology whatsoever. It had taken Coral perhaps five seconds to crack.

“Right,” Archie agreed, clutching the Orb to his chest. “Call everyone in. We’re moving out.”

“Got it.” Matt stepped back into the living room and turned his radio on. “Calling all points…”

Archie followed him out and turned on his own radio in time to hear his grunts responding. “ _Boss!_ ” yelled Don, who was posted barely fifty metres down the slope. “ _Boss, it’s THEM! It’s_ —” there was a _crackle_ as he was cut off.

“ _Fighting below, fighting below_ ,” Tia, who was posted closer to the hut, reported. “ _We’re being attacked by—look out! Two Mightyena behind you_!”

“Mightyena?” Matt said, running out of the door. “Is Marc back?”

“He’ll get his if he is,” Archie growled, taking a moment to put a shoulder to the wardrobe they’d put in front of the bathroom door and shove it aside a little. The old couple would be able shift it away enough to open the door in fifteen minutes or so. Long enough for Team Aqua to take out the interlopers and get away.

He ran out of the small house and into the fog-free patch surrounding it, ready to face Marc. He’d been denied a battle with his nemesis at Mt Chimney, but now…

Mildly singed or scratched-up Aqua members were fleeing up the slope towards them. “Everyone, drag cloaks out and over the cliff!” Archie ordered, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the precipice that gravekeepers past had precariously built their house on. “It’s a straight drop to the water! Get to your designated speedboat! Matt, call Shelley to bring them around!”

“Sir!” Matt said, switching channels on his radio. Fleeing Aqua members saluted Archie as they ran past, hurriedly unzipping and unfolding drag cloaks before leaping over the cliff edge.

Archie grabbed the arm of one, a young woman called Nessa, as she ran past. “Who is it?” he demanded. “Is Marc back?”

“It’s those girls, boss!” she said angrily. “The ones who interfered at the Museum and the Weather Institute…”

“Key and Saylee?” he muttered. He remembered them clearly. The blonde teenager who’d spent so much time arguing with him at Mt Chimney that he’d missed Marc, all full of fire and anger, and her friend, the scarred woman who’d looked at him and Marc both with such cold disdain and condescension, like they weren’t even worth her contempt…

They emerged from the mist ahead of him like angry ghosts, surrounded by their Pokémon. _All twelve… thirteen, that Vulpix is a grave guardian, though…_ he frowned as more indistinct shapes fluttered in the mist behind them. _Fourteen… fifteen…?_

“Archie!” Key yelled furiously. “What the hell are you doing _now_?”

“Dealer’s offering good odds that it’s both dumb _and_ dangerous,” Saylee said, crossing her arms and glaring at Archie in what, infuriatingly, seemed like exasperated irritation. “You’re here for the Orbs, right? Put it _back_ , you—” her eyes widened sharply as she stared at the Orb.

“You two aren’t fools,” Archie snapped. “You’ll understand soon enough. This world will be a better place once Team Aqua accomplishes its goals!”

“Sir, that’s the last of ‘em!” Matt called from behind him. “Let’s GO!”

“No you don’t!” Key’s Swellow shrieked, swooping down towards him. Archie ducked and rolled, then back on his feet in a second, running towards the cliff with the Red Orb clutched securely to his chest. He released Shanks, his trusty old Sharpedo, over the cliff. He narrowly avoided a Flygon as he leapt, releasing his drag cloak as he fell through the fog layer. The cloth billowed out, slowing his descent enough that when he hit the water, it didn’t feel like hitting a slab of concrete.

It still struck him hard enough to stun him, as he’d expected, but he knew that Shanks was in the water and trusted him implicitly. The Sharpedo dutifully began tugging Archie and Matt towards the waiting boats by their drag cloaks.

For a few minutes before he got feeling back, all that rang in Archie’s brain were words that he couldn’t quite understand, words that Saylee had screamed at him as he went over the cliff.

 _What did she mean, “_ You’ve got the wrong one” _…?_

{}

“We lost them!” Python whined, peering over the cliff.

“They could have missed the water and be dead on a rock at the bottom,” Polly said, licking his cheek consolingly.

“What did you yell after him?” Teddy asked Saylee. “The ‘wrong one’…?”

“He’s got the wrong Orb,” Saylee said, rubbing her forehead. “The idiot has the _wrong Orb_ …”

“Orb? You mean the Ruby and Sapphire Orbs you were talking about?” Key asked. “Which one did he have? I didn’t see…”

“Neither did I,” Shikoba said, landing next to them. “It was wrapped up in cloth, I _couldn’t_ see it, so how could _you_ —”

The door of the house on the precipice burst open, and an elderly couple stumbled out. They were dressed fairly normally—corduroy trousers and flower-printed button-down shirts—aside from the ragged black cloaks draped over their shoulders. “Verity! You caught the thieves!” the old lady yelled, pointing at Key and Saylee.

“Now hold on just one minute there,” Teddy said defensively. “We ain’t no thieves!”

“He’s right, ma’am,” said the Vulpix, Verity. “These people drove off the thieves. They fled in droves before them.”

“For all the good it does us now that _both_ Orbs are gone,” the old man _hrumphed_ , crossing his arms. He was bald on top but had a long, trailing white beard. His much darker-skinned wife, by contrast, had a huge mop of curly white hair that bobbed when she shook her head.

“For all the good it does _them,_ ” she cackled. “Oh, maybe those Orbs do have power, even broken as they are, but we fooled ‘em! The man talkin’ about Groudon took the Sapphire, and the man talkin’ about Kyogre took the Ruby!”

“But… according to the legend I heard, Kyogre’s power was sealed into a red sphere,” Key said, “and Groudon’s into a blue one. Isn’t that how the story goes?”

“Yes, but the legend lies,” Saylee said, looking at the old couple.

“Clever one, that,” the old man said to his wife.

“’Course it _lies_!” the old woman said. “You seal away powers that can destroy the whole damn planet, are _you_ gonna tell folks how to unlock it? Only reason there’s any lore at all is to keep people from accidentally destroying the damn things!”

“It’s _meant_ to be a family secret,” her husband pointed out.

“Well, that’s Phoebe’s fault, ain’t it?” his wife snapped. “Maya and Mia too… them girls oughta be here defending their grandparents! Instead we’ve gotta settle for random clever girls. Anyway, _she_ knows already,” she added, pointing at Saylee.

“The Orb he was holding… it was _rejecting_ him…” Saylee said, before pushing up her glasses and pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes. “Mother of Mew… is this a sick joke?”

“Are you alright, darlin’?” Skye asked with concern.

“Oh, _perfect_ ,” Saylee said bitterly. “I got exactly what I wanted. No children this time! Just bloody crime ring bosses… oh, I hope they suffer, I _really_ do…”

“Okay, which one’ve your ghosts hexed her?” Polly demanded, growling at the mist. “She’s talking crazy.”

“I wish,” Saylee said, digging into her bag. “Sir, ma’am… can you take a look at these for me?” She held out the red and blue fragments.

“By my stars and spirits,” the old man gasped.

“Never thought I’d see ‘em with my own eyes,” his wife agreed.

“So these _are_ the missing fragments of the Orbs,” Saylee said, walking towards them.

“Weren’t they just saying that those Orbs could bring about wold-destroying power if complete?” Thomas pointed out. “’Cause that sounds like it would, y’know, suck.”

“Which is why I want to leave them here now,” Saylee said, pressing the shards into the pale palms of the old lady’s callused hands. “Marc and Archie aren’t that bright. They won’t be back here now that they think they have what they want. We’re going after them, and I don’t want to risk dropping these into their hands. Oh… I should warn you that some very excited archaeologists might turn up here in the next couple days.”

“Pffft! Ain’t nobody gettin’ these,” the old lady promised. “We’ll keep e’m much safer than them Orbs, oh yes!” She stuck the shards down the neck of her shirt. “I dare ‘em to find ‘em there, hah! Wouldn’t mind ‘em trying, though. He was a big, strapping lad, wasn’t he, the one that took the Red Orb?”

“I’m not dead yet, hon,” her husband pointed out.

“Wouldn’t know it around here, would you?” she replied, before glaring at Saylee and Key. “Well, go on, girls, GIT!”

“Yes ma’am!” Key squeaked as Saylee turned and charged down the mountain, scowling to herself.

“What’s goin’ on with her?” Sanborn asked Leslie as they scurried after their trainers. Leslie shook her head.

“Whatever it is, it’s sure lit a fire under her, huh?” Zac said, nipping between his sister and his teammate as he ran after Saylee. “HEY! SAYLEE! WAIT UP!”

{}

“William… are you okay?” Saylee asked, peering through the Scope at her late Dustox, who was fading in and out of the Scope’s vision as they continued down the mountain.

“Of course not, I’m dead,” he muttered. Saylee flinched.

“The spirits are still agitated,” Verity explained. “With the Orbs gone, a sense of impending doom permeates everything. Your lost Pokémon maintain their forms because their deaths are relatively recent, but soon they too will fade out.”

Key reached up to touch her hair again, though she could neither see nor touch Wanda.

“Hey! Hey! Hey!” Zac called, darting out of the mist towards them. “Check out what Leslie found!” Leslie ran up to them and sat up in front of Key, setting something small, round and metallic into her hand. It looked like a large coin.

“What’s this?” Key said, tapping the emblem set in the middle of the coin. It was a black shape with three peaks on top and a semi-circular gap on the bottom. It looked vaguely familiar.

“Hey, weren’t those people at the volcano wearing this shape?” Molly asked. “The ones that weren’t Team Aqua?”

“Team Magma,” Key said. “Archie said they’d been here too…”

“ _Yooooouuuu… blooooood…_ ”

Saylee yelped as she was bowled over by a wave of nothing. Looking up, she saw that everyone else had been knocked down except for Polly and Python. She glanced through the scope and saw that the ghosts had vanished.

“The hell is that?” Sanborn demanded, spines rising as he stumbled to his feet. Teddy gave Saylee a hand up as she peered through the mists at their attacker.

It was a young man with dark blue hair and a purple outfit. He was staggering unsteadily towards them, face blank and eyes glowing pink. Wobbling along beside him was a Wobbuffet. Saylee had never seen a Wobbuffet with its eyes open before. They were perfectly spherical, and, like the human’s, glowing bright pink.

“Give meeeee…. _Blooood…_ ” the man hissed, reaching for them. The Wobbuffet cried out and wobbled, and they were all knocked down again.

“What in th’ _hell_ is goin’ on here?!” Teddy yelled.

“That human’s a psychic!” Saylee called. “He’s being affected—maybe even possessed—by the upset ghosts! We’ll have to knock them out and get them off the mountain!”

“You say that like you’re familiar with this,” Thomas asked dryly. Saylee shrugged.

“If he’s psychic, that’s why Polly and Python aren’t affected!” Key realized. “Get that Wobbuffet!”

The two Mightyena howled and charged. Python leapt on the Wobbuffet, sinking in fangs and claws. It shrieked and swung its firmly-rooted blue body back and forth, sending Python flying.

“Go for the tail!” Saylee cried. Polly caught the tiny black tail in her mouth and bit down hard. The Wobbuffet screamed horribly.

“Give meee… your _soul_ …” the psychic hissed. Both the Wobbuffet and Polly collapsed.

“NO!” Saylee screamed, watching both Pokémon shudder as a purple glow wrapped around them. “That’s Destiny Bond! _NO_!”

The psychic held out his hand, and the glows flowed into it. He grinned, licking his lips as Polly and the Wobbuffet’s shaking stopped.

“Polly! POLLY!” Python howled, charging the psychic and clamping his jaws around the man’s throat. The psychic collapsed in a spray of blood.

“Python!” Teddy yelled, grabbing the Mightyena and trying to pull him off. “Dammit, help me!” Sanborn and Thomas ran over to help him haul Python away from the gasping human.

“Python, _stop_!” Key shrieked, fumbling for his pokéball. Her shaking fingers dropped it.

Saylee reached into her bag and pulled out a tiny databag. She keyed in the access code and started retrieving bandages as she knelt next to the man.

“Artery’s damaged,” she muttered, pressing one hand over the spot that was spurting blood several inches. The man was coughing up purple smoke. “We need to stop the bleeding…”

Python howled again and broke away from the Pokémon restraining him while Key scrambled in the grass for his pokéball. Saylee was pushed back and pinned to the ground with the Mightyena’s hot breath in her face and his powerful fangs terrifying close to her throat. Saylee was sharply reminded that Mightyena were dark-type Pokémon.

“You,” he snarled. “He _killed_ her, and you—if you hadn’t told her to attack the tail, if you— _YOU_ ,” he howled ferally. Saylee winced as he claws dug into her shoulder and drew blood, making Teddy, who was inching up behind the angry Mightyena, freeze. Everyone else was staring, paralyzed by shock and horror as their friend and teammate was transformed by rage and grief. Saylee didn’t dare even breathe.

“Python,” Key sobbed. “Python, _no_ …”

“Peaches…”

Python looked up sharply, going slack-jawed in surprise. Saylee couldn’t tilt her head back far enough see what he was looking at, and didn’t dare move her body, but she knew. She knew from the way his ears flattened and his tail perked, and she knew that voice.

“Peaches, stop,” Polly said. Like the other ghosts, her voice was faint and wispy, but everyone was silently fixated on it. “It’s not her fault.”

“Polly… you…” Python’s voice broke. “Don’t go…”

“I have to,” Polly said. Saylee shivered as the cold mist brushed over her. Python closed his eyes, leaning into some touch she couldn’t see. “And you have to stop them. Magma and Aqua. You _have_ to, Peaches. They can’t be allowed to do what they’re planning. You can stop them, Peaches. I believe in you. Take your anger out on them, not Saylee.”

Python slowly stepped off of Saylee. She scrambled back until she had a Blaziken, a Sandslash and an Azumarill between her and the unstable Pokémon staring at the ghost of his mate.

“I love you, Peaches,” Polly whispered. “Promise me you won’t be mad at Saylee. She didn’t know…”

“I… okay, I promise…” Python whimpered, licking the empty air. “I love you… don’t go…” Tears rolled off of his snout as he bowed his head. “I… I can’t…”

“Go on,” Polly said softly. “You can’t stay here. Go!”

“I… Return me!” Python barked sharply at Key. “I can’t… I can’t leave… return me and take me out of here!”

“O-Okay,” Key said shakily, scrambling for his pokéball again and finally finding it and making him vanish. There was no further sign of Polly, or of the dead Wobbuffet. Saylee finally started breathing again, though her breath came only in short gasps as her head swam and her body shook.

“Calm down now, Saylee,” Teddy said, patting her shoulder. “It’s all gon’ be okay now…”

“Like hell it’s okay!” Sanborn snapped. “Man, Polly just got iced! No wonder Python lost his shit!” He gave Leslie an awkward comforting pat as she cried silently. Zac glared at his teammate as he licked his sister on the ear.

“I’m… okay…” Saylee gasped, trying to calm her breathing. “It’s just… _ow_ …” She patted the bleeding wounds on her shoulders gingerly. “Been a long time since I’ve had anything sharp at my throat…” she rubbed her neck, trying to ease her breathing but also feeling the thin scar left by Proton’s knife. “Never from… from an ally… a _friend_ …”

“I’m so, so sorry, Saylee,” Key sniffed, clutching Python’s pokéball. “I-I should’ve returned him sooner…”

“It’s okay, it’s good that he got to talk to Polly,” Saylee said. “He just flipped on grief and rage. Could happen to anyone.” She crawled back to the bleeding psychic to finish tying the bandages to his neck. “Better get him out of here, he’s bleeding out. Skye, Shikoba, Topaz, we’ll have to fly.”

“I’ll return everyone else…” Key said hoarsely. “What about… Polly…?”

“Verity?” Saylee asked the Vulpix, who was sitting between her dead Mightyena and the Wobbuffet. “Will you… look after her?”

“We will see to her burial, but her spirit will no doubt be caught up in the unrest,” Verity warned her. “Please bring back the Orbs soon.”

“We will,” Saylee promised, giving Polly a last stroke on the ears. Her fur was already cold and damp from the mist. “You’re always in our hearts,” she said softly, looking up at the dark mountain. “All of you, if you can hear me. You’re always in my heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saylee  
> Name: Shelly. Species: Shuppet. Nature: Modest. Ability: Insomnia. Location: Route 121  
> RIP Polly the Mightyena, level 4-38


	22. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 19   
> Deaths: 6
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 27   
> Deaths: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry these are late! Netbook died and crashed, taking most of my prime copies of my fic with it. I have backups (BACKING UP IS SUCH A GOOD AND IMPORTANT HABIT) but the most up-to-date ones were on a hard drive that my old laptop can't read. So I had to wait to get a new hard drive for my netbook before I could post these here. Sorry!

Once they were out of the mists, the closest city that they spotted was Lilycove. The seaside city was brightly lit as evening drew in, and a warm breeze off the sea smelled of salt. The warm breeze and bright lights did nothing to brighten their spirits, however. On landing in front of the hospital, they watched the psychic be wheeled away by an emergency team and returned their Pokémon before a nurse led Saylee away to patch up her shoulders.

“Are you sure you don’t want a skin graft for the scarring?” the nurse said as he pressed down the bandage tape.

“I’m fine, thanks. I need to get moving as soon as possible,” Saylee insisted.

“Well then, try and keep these on for three days to let the salve do its work,” the nurse replied, “and then put on another set of bandages if there’s still bleeding.” He handed her another roll of bandage tape.

“Thank you,” Saylee said, putting the bandages into her databag and then going outside to meet Key.

“I’m sorry,” Key said wretchedly as soon as she saw Saylee. “I should’ve been able to keep Python under control…”

“It’s not your fault,” Saylee said, giving her a hug, which was slightly awkward with her injured shoulders. Key hugged her back tightly, shaking a little out of fright or grief. “I think we forgot that Polly and Python are dark-types… control is not really in their nature. We’ll just… have to be careful with him, that’s all.” They broke apart and walked over to a city infoboard set up in front of the hotel. Saylee scrolled around the map as best she could without being able to move her shoulders. “Ah… will you look at that.”

“What?” Key said, peering at the map. She gasped, pointing at the large building on the eastern seafront. “Is that—?!”

“Headquarters of the Aqua Environmental Foundation,” Saylee read aloud. “Just offshore… oh, look. A ranger station right nearby.”

“I didn’t know rangers had their own stations,” Key said. “I thought they usually worked out of police stations.”

“Normally, yeah,” Saylee said. “But once in a while we run non-police operations, or need to exchange information that can’t go through official channels for whatever reason… Aqua’s been fronting as a legitimate research charity, but I bet if anyone can tell us what’s been going on underneath it’s the rangers.”

{}

The ranger hall was somewhat small and poky, with the walls all but panelled in a mix of touchscreens and old-timey corkboards with various items in bags pinned to them. A couple of tables and eight or nine mismatched chairs were scattered around. A dark-skinned young man with bright yellow hair and a ruddy-cheeked woman with short green hair were sitting in a couple, talking and drinking coffee over a projected map of Hoenn. They both looked up when Saylee and Key walked in.

“Can we help you?” the woman asked.

“My name’s Sar Saylee Pryce,” Saylee said, taking out her dragon emblem and holding it out. The woman reached out to touch it, quickly retrieving her hand as she stared at the emblem. “I’m a ranger from Kanto. This is Key Weaves.”

“Sar Saylee?” the man asked, sitting up sharply. “As in, Team Rocket-busting Sar Saylee?” Saylee winced, but nodded. “Woman, you’re a legend! I gotta shake your hand!” He ran through the map to wring her hand. “Hey, can I get an autograph?”

“Uh, sure,” Saylee said, watching him scramble for paper and a pen. We’re here about Team Aqua—”

“Yeah, we heard from the police that you two were first on the scene at the Oceanic Museum, Mt Chimney _and_ the Weather Institute,” the woman said, raising her mug in salute. “Do you guys lead a charmed life or what?”

“Charmed is not the word I’d use,” Saylee muttered. “Hexed, maybe…”

“Well, hey there! Sar Pryce and miss Champion-to-be!”

Saylee looked up as the blonde man pressed a notepad and a red pen into her hands. Another man had come through a door at the back of the room. He was wearing sunglasses, even indoors at night, and his ugly blue shirt was burned onto Saylee’s memory. “Scott?” she blurted out in surprise.

“You guys have met?” the blonde man asked, glancing around. “Oh, hey, Sar Pryce, can you make it out ‘to Doug’?”

“Sure,” Saylee said. “Scott, I don’t know what’s worse, the idea that you’re wearing the same ugly shirt you were wearing two years ago, or that you have more than _one_ of that shirt.”

“Who is this guy?” Key asked as Scott just laughed.

“He came to Kanto a couple of years ago to scope out trainers to sponsor on the professional competitive circuit,” Saylee explained. “I have never seen him without sunglasses. You never told me you were a ranger, Scott.”

“That’s because he’s not really,” the woman said, shaking Key’s hand and then Saylee’s as soon as Saylee was done signing. “He’s an informant. I’m Claudia, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Saylee said. “Informant, huh?”

“I also have a sister called Sayo,” Scott said, looking at Saylee. “I think you’ve met her.”

“Wait… the _geisha_ Sayo?” Saylee said in surprise. “Does mild stalking run in your family?”

Scott just laughed. “I told her I’d seen you, and she said to tell you that old Chronos predicted the next few days to be busy ones here. Seen any avatars lately?”

“One, and he can ascend over my dead body,” Saylee said firmly.

“Not another kid, is it?” Scott asked curiously. “She said you were less than happy about assisting those two boys before…”

“No,” Saylee said, shaking her head. “He’s just… unsuitable. Extremely so.”

“What are you two talking about?” Doug asked with a frown. “What’s going on?”

“According to Chronos, terrible storms will ravage Hoenn,” Scott said. “Taking Groudon and Kyogre’s powers off the table entirely would certainly help deal with that.”

“Their powers are sealed in the Ruby and Sapphire Orbs, which have been stolen,” Saylee pointed out. “I need help retrieving them. We need to _prevent_ Groudon and Kyogre’s avatarization, not—”

“Hey, the poacher was talking about Groudon, wasn’t she?” Doug said.

“Legally, she ain’t a poacher since she didn’t catch anything,” Claudia huffed. “We’ve just got her on breaking and entering a reservation, and being an Aqua member, although that isn’t a flat-out criminal charge yet…” she pointed to the door that Scott had come out of. “We’ve got an Aqua girl in the cell. She says her name’s Coral and that someone’s trying to wake Groudon. We thought she was talking crazy, but from the sounds of you two you might feel differently.”

“We need to talk to her,” Saylee said quickly.

“Go on through,” Doug said. Saylee headed into the holding area with a somewhat confused Key trailing behind.

The holding cell was sparse, just a toilet and a sink against one wall and a thin mattress on a slab jutting out of another. A red-haired Aqua girl was sitting on it, biting her nails.

“Oh Kyogre, it’s you two,” she gasped when Saylee and Key walked up to the transparent cell wall. “Listen, they won’t believe me, but you have to help the boss!”

“Help Archie do what, summon Kyogre? No way!” Key said, scowling.

“Help him stop Marc,” Coral pleaded. “We only planned to summon Kyogre if he summoned Groudon! Kyogre’s the only thing that could stop Groudon!”

“Where is Marc going to summon Groudon?” Saylee demanded.

“At Mt Chimney,” Coral said immediately. “When he tried to set off the volcano before, he was trying to wake it up, don’t you see? But now he has the Blue Orb…”

“Why should be believe you?” Key said sceptically. “How do we know this isn’t a ploy to get us away from your base?”

“Please, my sister Shelly, she’s an admin, you’ve fought her,” Coral pleaded, starting to tear up. “She went with the boss to Mt Chimney to stop Marc… there’s no telling what he’ll do to them with Groudon’s power! I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s killed…” she shook her head. “Look, I know you’ve messed up our operations a lot, but you were doing it because you were trying to do the right thing, weren’t you? _So are we_! Please believe me!”

“You really believe that, don’t you,” Saylee said incredulously, watching the girl cry. Coral nodded. “How old are you?”

“Eighteen,” she sniffed. “Shelly’s nine years older than me, she practically raised me after our parents divorced, she’s all I’ve got any more, _please_ —”

“Calm down,” Saylee said soothingly.

“Do you really believe her?” Key hissed to Saylee.

“I think she believes what she’s saying,” Saylee muttered. “And… I know that look in her eyes. She’s really worried about her big sister.”

“Yeah, but are you sure you don’t just think that because—” Key began. Saylee glared at her. “—sure. Okay then. Whatever you say.”

Saylee turned and walked out into the main room. “Whether or not you believe in Groudon, the fact is that the leaders of Team Aqua and Magma both are at Mt Chimney in possession of stolen cultural artefacts, and they need to be arrested.”

“We’ll put out a call, see if any rangers are in the area to meet you just outside of Lavaridge,” Claudia offered. “If you’re gonna walk into a trap, might as well have some backup when you go, right?”

“Thank you,” Saylee said. “I’m gonna move out now.”

“You’re going _now_? It’s already dark,” Doug pointed out.

“It’ll be fine. Mt Chimney’s not hard to find in the dark,” Saylee said, stepping outside and releasing Skye. “And you really have no idea how urgent it is that neither Magma nor Aqua get near Groudon. Well, Scott probably knows.”

“We’re quite sure that it is Groudon under there, unless a colony of Heatran has formed,” Scott said. “That volcano has been hot and smoking for three thousand years without erupting. That’s really not normal.”

“You remember the way to Mt Chimney, right?” Saylee asked Skye climbing onto her back.

“Of course!” the Altaria said, spreading her soft, cottony wings.

“Evening, gorgeous,” Shikoba said with a wink as he appeared next to her. “A twilight flight? How divine.”

“Shut up and follow ‘em,” Key said, climbing onto his back.

“You really don’t have to come with me,” Saylee insisted. “This is my job.”

“And this is my country they’re going to blow up or whatever,” Key said pointedly, “if you’re genuinely, actually serious about Groudon and Kyogre.”

“You have no idea how serious,” Saylee said.

“Yeah, I’d quite like to know, actually,” Key said. “I’m also curious about Archie. He’s never really come off as _evil_ , has he? What if this has all been to protect the country from Magma?”

“’Scuse me, but are you talkin’ about _Team_ Magma?”

Saylee looked down, squinting in the gloom at the… Gloom. “Yes, we are,” she said.

“I was just wonderin’, see, ‘cause that lady they arrested, she wasn’t stealin’ nobody,” he said, wiping some of the ever-present drool off of his mouth. “She was just lookin’ for help, lookin’ for rare water type to fight these Magma chumps, see? An’, well, I felt sorry for ‘er. I wanna help, y’know? I mean, I ain’t much use against fire, but…”

“You’re welcome to come with us if you want to, regardless,” Saylee said, holding out a pokéball. “We’ll be fighting guys with water-types too, probably. What’s your name?”

“Oberon,” the Gloom said, reaching for the pokéball and vanishing.

“Right then, let’s go,” Saylee said to Skye. Skye took off into the night sky.

A moment later, Saylee’s pokégear rang. “Hello?” Saylee said, answering it.

“ _It’s me,_ ” Key said. Saylee looked over to see Shikoba flying nearby. “ _I need some explanations, and I don’t want to shout. What the hell are avatars? Why are you taking this whole Groudon and Kyogre thing so seriously? I know_ they’re _taking it seriously, but you genuinely believe there are these… big, mythological_ gods _hanging around Hoenn somewhere?_ ”

“Yes I do,” Saylee replied, “for the very simple reason that I’ve met the big, mythological gods hanging around Johto. I’ve seen them.”

“ _Seriously,_ ” Key said flatly.

“Seriously,” Saylee replied. “Ho-oh, Lugia and Celebi, specifically. Celebi was just last year. And I know all three of their avatars.”

“ _You and Scott kept using that word. What the hell is an avatar?_ ”

“Okay, there are reasons for this which I’ll explain when we’re not trying to save the world,” Saylee said, “but of recent years, gods are starting to merge with pre-chosen human hosts, called avatars. The merge is really, really rough on the human, but the end result is some merging of the human’s and god’s consciousnesses and memories and a human with access to the god’s powers, but who, crucially, can’t be captured or controlled in the way that Pokémon, even god Pokémon, can. The idea is that, ultimately, you’ve got a group of powerful humans who have at heart the best interests of both Pokémon and humans.”

“… _Seriously_.”

“Seriously,” Saylee repeated. “The problem with Ho-oh and Lugia is that they both chose preteen boys as their avatars. I know a child is probably not a bad selection since they can still be raised and moulded to be the kind of person they’re needed to be, but like I said, the merge is really traumatic and physically difficult. I got lucky with Celebi’s avatar; he’s an adult, so the merge didn’t make him as ill, and he’s a former monk who dedicated his life to being the kind of guy good enough to work with gods anyway. I wish all of them were like him. But Archie is… not.”

“ _Archie… are you seriously telling me that Archie is going to be possessed by a god_?” Key said incredulously. “ _Like Groudon or Kyogre?_ He _was chosen to have that kind of power?_ ”

“Not if I have any say in it,” Saylee growled, “and since I got mixed up in Ho-oh, Lugia and Celebi’s avatarizations, apparently I do. Carrying around tiny chunks of Kyogre and Groudon’s power for four years probably helps too. Avatars need assistance when merging with their gods, not least because they tend to need carried away afterwards. If we can isolate them away from Groudon and Kyogre, preferably _without_ them finding out that they could be possessed by Groudon and Kyogre…”

“ _That’s why you said Archie had the wrong Orb,_ ” Key realized. “ _He was carrying Groudon’s powers instead of Kyogre’s. Without the Blue Orb, he can’t raise Kyogre, right?_ ”

“I really don’t know what the deal is with these Orbs,” Saylee confessed. “All I know is that the Red Orb reacted to him… _rejected_ him. We don’t know that the Blue Orb won’t also react if he gets near it in Mt Chimney, and given the traditional relationship between Groudon and Kyogre, there’s no telling how Groudon will react to his presence. I really don’t want to find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oberon isn’t actually a new catch. He’s been in the box for a while. I just stuck him in here.


	23. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 19   
> Deaths: 6
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 27   
> Deaths: 2

“Hey, what’s that?” Shikoba asked, looking down at the side of the volcano as they swooped towards the lights of Lavaridge. They were keeping closer and flying more slowly and carefully approached the volcano.

“I don’t know. I can’t see anything on the mountain except a glowing crater,” Saylee replied, a touch nervously. “I hate volcanoes. These things can even burn most fire-types to death, you know.”

“Yeah, well, it’s red but I don’t think it’s a fire-type,” Shikoba said. “I think it’s a human.”

“Team Magma?” Key asked. “Shikoba, you think you can swoop down and grab him?”

“’Course I can!” Shikoba said, proceeding to do just that. Skye and Topaz followed him down as the unfortunate man screamed.

“Shut him up, will you?” Saylee hissed, jumping off of Skye’s back and switching on her pokégear’s flashlight to look at the man.

His hood hid his face, but when he looked up at her, he snarled. “YOU!” he yelled. “You BITCH!”

“Do I know you?” Saylee said, flicking off his hood and shining the light in his face. “Hmm… you do look vaguely familiar…”

“ _Do_ you know him?” Key asked as the man struggled against Shikoba’s grip. Topaz joined in, wrapping her tail around the man as tightly as a straitjacket.

“Oh!” Saylee realized, pointing at the man. “I remember now! Saffron, right? Silph Co? I remember, you were the fool who tried to set some kidnapped Cubone against Carrie. I see your legs have healed up fine. How are your brothers?”

“Still in jail, thanks to you,” the former Rocket brother spat. “Once Team Magma takes over the world, I’ll free them, and then you’ll _burn_ , bitch.”

“That’s nice,” Saylee said, crossing her arms. “Where’s the entrance to the Magma base?”

“Right behind you, bitch, but you’ll never get in,” he sneered. Saylee turned to look at the boulder she was standing in front of. She ran her hand over its surface, finding nothing.

“How do you get in?” she demanded.

“Suck my prick,” the man spat.

“This man’s just _askin’_ for a smotherin’,” Skye said, spreading her billowing wings. “I don’t like the way he’s talkin’ to ya.”

“It’s okay, Skye,” Saylee said, taking Sanborn’s pokéball off her belt. “Now, if I remember right, you had two Cubone that you’d kidnapped and tortured into obedience, right?”

“Fuck you.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Saylee held up the pokéball. “So I do remember you right. Do you think Carrie does? My Marowak?” The man paled sharply. “She’s not the forgive and forget sort.”

“A-a goody-goody little bitch like you wouldn’t let your Pokémon kill me,” he said shakily.

“Oh, no, she wouldn’t _kill_ you,” Saylee said, smiling. “She has too much respect for the dead. But, did you know, if you do it right you can break every bone in the human body without damaging the major organs. And, of course, there aren’t any organs in the arms and legs, so if you’re careful about blood loss you can completely crush—”

“YouneedanentrycoinputitinthecrackintherockbutIdon’thaveonesoHA!” he said in a single breath.

“You mean like this?” Key said, pulling the coin that Leslie had found out of her pocket. The man looked nervously at Saylee, then nodded.

“Wonderful,” Saylee said, putting Sanborn’s pokéball back on her belt. She released her new Gloom, Oberon. “Hey, do you know Sleep Powder?” she asked.

“’ey, no problem,” Oberon said, waiting until Topaz and Shikoba dropped the man before showering him with powdery blue narcolepsy.

“I don’t know who was creepier there, him or you,” Key said, nudging the unconscious Rocket-turned-Magma with a toe.

“Hey, _I_ was bluffing,” Saylee pointed out. “I don’t even have Carrie with me, but she did break quite a few of his bones the last time before I pulled her off him. The thing about assholes like that is that he really thought I would’ve vindictively tortured him, because he’d _love_ to do the same to me.”

“Urgh.” Key made sure to tread on the last free Rocket brother as she stepped over to the boulder. “Were they all like that? Team Rocket?”

“The level of petty cruelty varied, but yeah, pretty much,” Saylee said, returning Skye and Oberon.

“There was a girl who used to live at the home who got sent here from Johto,” Key said, returning Topaz and Shikoba. “Dad said her parents were in Team Rocket. She wasn’t _evil_ or anything, just… kind of an asshole. She had a petty theft record a mile long, y’know, and she could be a bit over-the-top in battles. She really hated being told what to do, too. She ran away last year. I’m just kinda hoping she doesn’t turn out to be in Team Magma.”

“We can’t afford to go easy on her if she is,” Saylee said, shining her flashlight on the crack in the boulder. Key pushed the coin in. “We can’t let them get to Grou—whoa!”

The boulder rumbled and split, opening up to reveal a tunnel. “Let’s go!” Key said, running in as the doors began to close again.

“Is this seriously a pay-and-display secret base?” Saylee said, following Key in. “Oh, damn,” she muttered as the door swung closed. “We should’ve waited for the other rangers to get here before we tried that.”

“I don’t see an open switch from the inside,” Key said, looking around in the dim light from inset wall sconces and flapping her hand at her face. “Wow, it’s _hot_ in here.”

“That’s what happens when you build your secret base in a volcano,” Saylee said, releasing Molly, Sanborn, Zac and Teddy.

“Yeah, but who _does_ that? Except for supervillains from old Bond movies,” Key said, releasing Manami, Topaz and Leslie. Her hand hovered hesitantly over Python’s pokéball for a moment, then she let it be.

“I don’t want this to be an old Bond movie,” Saylee said firmly. “I refuse to inexplicably switch from strong female character to damsel in distress in time for the climax, and I _really_ don’t want to have to be rescued by the kind of asshole who wears a _tuxedo_ in a _volcano_. Zac, Leslie, what are you doing?”

“Finding stuff,” Zac said, running up and spitting a blue-wrapped candy into Saylee’s hand. “What is that? It smells like plastic.”

“Team Magma’s been artificially enhancing their Pokémon,” Saylee said with a frown, staring at the candy for a moment before pocketing it. “C’mon. I have a really bad feeling about this…”

{}

The tunnels were winding, with multiple dead-ends onto abandoned tunnels. They didn’t take too many wrong turns with Teddy in the lead, however; Teddy apparently had a nose for lava, and the increased amount of belligerent attention that they were drawing from Magma guards seemed to indicate that they were on the right track.

 _I can feel it below,_ Saylee though, watching Teddy Double Kick aside a pair of Poochyena while Zac and Leslie zapped down a flock of Zubat. Topaz and Sanborn were knocking out human Magma grunts, while Molly and Manami misted everyone except Teddy to keep them cool. _The power of the Orb, like the shards but…_ weaker _… clashing with the aura of the man holding it… Archie must be here somewhere with the Red Orb. That can’t be good…_

It just got hotter and hotter as they progressed through the tunnels, and Magma grunts grew thicker and thicker (in numbers as well as intellect), both signs that they were on the right track. However, they saw no sign of Archie, Shelly or any other Aqua member.

“I hope nothing happened to them,” Key muttered. “Team Aqua, I mean. Not that I’m worried about them or anything,” she said quickly, “but if Marc has the Red Orb…”

“I don’t think he does,” Saylee said. “Let’s go find ‘em before he does.”

“Well, compared to Team Magma, Team Aqua’s not that bad, are they?” Key said.

“Team Magma hasn’t killed any of my Pokémon,” Saylee pointed out sharply.

Key winced. “Sorry,” she said. “But I mean… the admins didn’t seem to know about that. All they’d planned was some thefts, but this Marc guy tried setting off a volcano and now… they said he’s killed too. Marc, I mean. And Archie said he’d only raise Kyogre if it was needed to defeat Groudon…”

“You’re _defending_ Team Aqua?” Manami said in shock.

“I ain’t carin’ ‘bout their intentions, seein’ how they murdered Winnie an’ William,” Teddy agreed. “An’ they’re half t’blame fer Polly’s death, too. So’re Magma.”

“I know, I know!” Key said quickly. “I’m just saying, compared to Magma…”

“I do see what you’re saying, Key,” Saylee said patiently. “Vigilantism gone awry. Now, if this was somewhere like the Kanto I grew up in, I might even agree. Vigilantism is how we beat Team Rocket, even in Johto where they’d long infiltrated the police.”

“So you agree with her?” Molly asked in surprise.

Saylee shook her head. “Hoenn is different,” she said sternly to Key. “There are no indications that they have anything in the police. You have them, you have rangers, you have a government run by powerful trainers. If Archie knew Marc was coming here ahead of time, he should’ve alerted some authorities, like we did! I wouldn’t have come myself if I wasn’t a ranger and a—”

“And a what?” Key demanded. “What are you really to all these gods and stuff? Why do _you_ have to do it? Why don’t you explain all _that_ to the police or the rangers?”

“Because they wouldn’t believe me!” Saylee snapped. “And if they did… do you really think I want it becoming common knowledge that these people are out there? I mean, it’ll have to be someday, that’s part of the point, but not yet!”

“Why not?” Key argued.

“Because he’s just a kid!” Saylee shouted.

“Hey, uh, Lee? Might wanna take it down, y’know?” Sanborn said as a pair of Golbat and a pack of Poochyena came around the corner, charging them.

“Right, sorry,” Saylee said, deliberately biting down her voice. “Teddy, Zac…”

“We got it, don’t we, sis?” Zac said as he and Leslie started to spark electricity. Teddy immediately leapt for the Poochyena.

“What do you mean, ‘he’?” Key asked. “I know you said two of the ones that there are already are kids. Which one in particular do you mean?”

Saylee sighed, crossing her arms. “…Remember that I told you I have a younger half-brother? He’s thirteen now. Silver. And he’s also Ho-oh.” Key’s eyes widened. “You have to understand… he visits his mother, his birth mother, once a year in prison because he feels like he should, and he always comes back an angry wreck. He hates her, although not as much as I do because nobody hates _anybody_ as much as I hate his parents, but he can’t help being affected by her. She knows that, and she manipulates him with it, but she’s also never seen anything wrong with freely admitting that he’s just a tool to her. She felt like she had every right to use and manipulate him as she pleased when all he was to her was a hook for Giovanni to keep her high in the Rocket pecking order. What if she found out that he has the powers of a god now?” She looked down. “What if _he_ found out? Giovanni? He’s still missing. He’s damn good at slinking away and hiding. What if it became common knowledge, not just that avatars exist but who they are, and he found out that one was his son? I’d love for that bastard to crawl back out of the woodwork so I can take him down once and for all, but I don’t want him coming after Silver for any reason. So far, he doesn’t give enough of a shit about Silver to come after him, and that’s just the way I like it. I don’t want to see either of them hurt Silver any more. He’s still a kid…”

“That’s nice. Think you wanna say all that a little louder in case there’s someone in this volcano who _didn’t_ hear you?”

“Where’n the hell’d you come from?!” Teddy shouted, swinging a kick at the Magma member who’d appeared in front of him. The man managed to duck and roll under Teddy’s kick, but wound up with Sanborn’s claws at his throat.

“Okay, man, you don’t move and I don’t gotta cut you, we clear?” Sanborn said, slowly allowing the Magma grunt to crouch back on his heels. With the rest of the tunnel empty of further grunts, the Pokémon circled him.

“You heard us talking?” Key demanded, looking nervously at Saylee, who was staring at the man with a thoughtful frown.

“Only because I was eavesdropping,” the man said casually. “Want to take this somewhere a little more private?”

“Wanna give me a reason not ta jus’ go ahead an’ knock ya out right here an’ now?” Teddy demanded.

“Take off your hood,” Saylee ordered abruptly. “Are you…?”

“Awesome? Indeed,” the man said, reaching up slowly and lowering his hood, keeping his eyes on Sanborn the whole time.

“Not the word I’d use,” Saylee said, recognizing the spiky red hair and arrogant expression. “Sanborn, let him go… but keep an eye on him.”

“You know him?” Manami asked.

“Clearly she does,” Molly added. “I just wish she would stop beating around the bush about it.”

“Sorry,” Saylee said sheepishly, “but you’re right, we should probably take this somewhere more private. You know somewhere?” she asked the man.

“Step into my parlour,” he said, stepping past Teddy with a nod and pressing some hidden switch in the wall, causing a door to slide open in the rock. “By the way, are your Pokémon okay? They aren’t looking too hot, and by that I mean they’re looking _way_ too hot.”

“Oh, sorry, dear!” Molly gasped, noticing that Zac and Leslie were both panting and spraying mist over them.

“That helps,” Zac said gratefully. Leslie bit him. “…but it’s still really freaking hot, yeah.” They were sagging noticeably as they trooped through the door; so, too, were Molly and Manami.

“Sorry the mist’s getting thinner,” Manami said apologetically. “We’re just… drying out a little…”

“I’m sorry, we shouldn’t be wearing you out like this,” Key said, returning her and Leslie. Saylee returned Zac and Molly, as well as Skye, who was starting to have a hard time flying.

“Yeah, even I’m feelin’ cooked, y’know?” Sanborn added. “An’ I grew up in the damn _desert_.”

“It is real toasty in here, ain’t it?” Topaz agreed.

“That’s because you’re nearly at the magma layer,” the man said, closing the door behind them. “Well now, Sar, won’t you introduce me to your new friends?”

“Key, Teddy, Sanborn, Topaz…” Saylee said, looking around, “meet Sir Lance of Blackthorn. Lance, this is Key Weaves, her Flygon Topaz, my Blaziken Teddy and my Sandslash Sanborn. Now, Lance; what the hell are you doing here? I thought you were cataloguing the staff and resources of Cinnabar Island.”

“I was, but I left to track a couple of individuals that I’ve only recently found out may have fled Kanto in the final days before Psychic Ground Zero,” Lance said, turning to lead them through the maze of machinery and equipment in the cavernous room with them. It looked like a giant storeroom. “One of them worked in the Cinnabar labs, the other in Silph Co.’s R&D department. Both of them may well have taken with them the kind of scientific knowledge that could allow another nation to follow in Kanto’s footsteps. Obviously, letting that happen would be a bad idea, which would be why I’m here.”

“Cinnabar and Silph?” Saylee said, a cold feeling slipping down her spine at the mention of both locations, the centres of the technological and biological warfare that Kanto had inflicted on itself. _If he’s here… are they working for…? Oh,_ no…

“So are they working for Magma now or something?” Key asked. “And how bad would that be? Because judging by how white you’ve gone, Saylee, that would be _really_ bad.”

“Extraordinarily,” Saylee muttered.

“Well, one was a scientists working under a Professor Blaine, whom I believe you’ve met,” Lance said, glancing back at her, “and the other was a top tech on the Master Ball project. It’s _that_ bad.”

“Whoa, now,” Teddy said in surprise as his trainer stumbled, grabbing his arm to hold herself up. “You look like you’re ‘bout ta pass out! ‘sit the heat?”

“No, no…” Saylee muttered, feeling sick to the pit of her stomach. “Mewtwo… the Masterball… Team Magma might have information on _both_ of them?”

“Not both, I don’t think,” Lance said, actually looking amused by her upset. “You see, the missing men were named Maximillian Hyland and Adrian Irving. They are currently going by Marc Hyland, head of Team Magma, and the late Adrian Irving, formerly head of Team Aqua.”

“I can’t believe it,” Saylee said faintly. “It got worse.”


	24. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee  
> Pokémon: 19  
> Deaths: 6
> 
> Key  
> Pokémon: 27  
> Deaths: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this happened a day late… life happened, and also stuff. Including the ORAS demo. I’m still angry about them removing trainer customization, but the game’s still looking hella pretty. Especially Steven. Steven Stone is looking HELLA pretty.  
> I should clarify that Kalle=Tabitha, by the way. Kalle is his name in the German version of the game. Kalle, Courtney, Matt and Shelly are all their old designs, also. This was written aaaaaaaaaaages before the new designs were revealed XP

The cavern which Lance led them into was full of a vast array of burnt and damaged machinery, drills and dials and things Saylee couldn’t identify. There was another Magma grunt in there, collecting up the tools that were scattered around and packing them into a databag slung over his shoulder. Lance introduced him as Dan, the extremely disaffected head tech of Team Magma.

“I signed up to the Magma Corporation as a tech for geological surveys of volcanoes,” Dan explained, patting what looked like a small tank with a drill on top. “Designed most of these. The shell’s an alloy we nicknamed Macargium, since it’s about as tough and heat-resistant as a Macargo’s shell. You could drive one of these babies through the middle of the sun in perfect comfort. And I thought the whole point of the research was to _prevent_ volcanoes going off, not…” he dissolved into grumbling.

“We may have accidentally broken the sirens connecting to the central chamber,” Lance said, sitting on top of an unlit control panel. “Marc and his top crew have no idea that chaos is going on up here. You’re welcome.”

“So we can take ‘em by surprise!” Teddy said, looking pleased.

“But isn’t Team Aqua here too?” Topaz pointed out.

“We don’t _know_ that, do we?” Sanborn argued. “It ain’t like we seen ‘em.”

“No, Archie’s here, at least,” Saylee said, rubbing her forehead and looking pointedly at Lance. “With the Red Orb.”

“Archie Irving’s the new Kyogre, huh?” Lance said curiously. “Well, shit. And we thought we’d dodged a bullet when his father bit it.”

“What does that mean?” Saylee demanded. “How do _you_ know that?”

“Does anything he says mean anything?” Dan asked, before disappearing into one of the magma tanks. “Actually, don’t answer, I already don’t care…”

“He… _knows_?” Key asked, nodding at Lance.

“Indeed he does,” Lance said pompously. “Grandfather keeps tabs on things like that, you know, and as his eldest living descendant and heir, I get the juicy lowdown. The Blackthorn Clan has had a very long working relationship with the lovely ladies of Ecruteak, you know.”

Saylee nodded, remembering the geisha who had been present at Diana and Nider’s funeral. _That was the innermost sanctum of the Dragon clan,_ she remembered. _Nider died to get me in there, and that geisha walked in and out of there easily…_ “How long?” she asked.

“Back to the peak days of the Dragon Empire, I understand,” Lance said with a shrug.

“The what now?” Topaz said with interest.

“Wait, I know this,” Key said. “We did this in high school history. Let’s see… the Dragon Clan ruled Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, the Sevii Islands, and colonized like all of Orre. But then the Ice Clan in Sinnoh won their independence, like, three and a half thousand years ago, and within five hundred years the Dragon Clan wasn’t actually _ruling_ much outside of… what’s it called?”

“Blackthorn City,” Lance offered helpfully. “There’s usually a senior member of the clan on the ruling council of Johto, but yeah, you’ve summed it up pretty well. Anyway, way back when we owned _everything_ , that included the libraries of the monks of Ecruteak, and _that_ includes the predictions of Morty’s ancestor Chronos.”

“A seer,” Saylee clarified for Key. “He could see thousands of years into the past and future… not often into the present. He predicted humans gaining the ability to speak to Pokémon.”

“And plenty of other interesting and useful things,” Lance added. “The clan used those texts and the divinations of the geisha to predict various chosen heroes to whom gods would lend their power. You know, famous heroes like Sir Aaron, Sar Tara…”

“The Sea Queen,” Key suggested. “Queen of Hoenn five thousand-odd years ago,” she added to Saylee. “She fought off the first invasion of the Dragon Empire with an army of soldiers made of stone, they say, that were made for her by a god.”

“Yes, even though they lived near the heart of the Dragon Empire, history suggests that the geisha have only ever shared important information with the clan at large when it suited them,” Lance said, huffing in frustration. Saylee nodded sympathetically. “Gods have always found humans to connect to… to fight alongside. Anyway, skipping all the mystical guff… they believe that Kyogre had a connection to Adrian Irving.”

“For a scientist, that guy was always pretty convinced that the gods were real,” Dan commented, walking past with a bag full of expensive-looking monitoring devices. “I didn’t believe it myself until I first got a look at Groudon.”

“That’s fair enough,” Lance said casually. “Adrian Irving was spotted prewar, according to clan and geisha records, but from the looks of it his involvement in the Master Ball project was enough to get a debate started on the merits of bringing back assassination. Him packing up his family and fleeing three days before Psychic Ground Zero seems to have been a mixed blessing. Still, when he was found out to have died when a magma chamber he was researching collapsed on him ten years ago, it was to all-around relief. Nobody noticed his younger son…” Lance frowned to himself.

“If this guy was runnin’ Aqua, why the hell was he researchin’ volcanoes?” Sanborn asked. “I ain’t educated like you humans, but all I’m sayin’ is, volcanoes an’ oceans ain’t exactly similar.”

“Seems that Marc Hyland and Adrian Irving were quite close friends, hence why they fled Kanto at the same time,” Lance said with a shrug.

“Yeah, I remember that they were good buddies, way back when,” Dan said, reappearing from the tank and shoving what looked like a huge crowbar into his bag. “In the early days, Aqua and Magma collaborated on a lot of stuff. They were both environmental projects, and neither of ‘em had a lot of money, see? So they loaned out parts and manpower to each other all the time. Then one day, Marc and Adrian both go into a volcano and only Marc comes out. Adrian’s son, the one he’d brought along, pitched a real fit, or so I heard, accusing Marc of killing his father. Seems the pair had been arguing a lot about something, and, well… Marc didn’t exactly deny it, y’see?”

“Thus began the mighty rivalry of Aqua and Magma that you know and love today,” Lance continued. “Magma’s a priority because Marc has firsthand knowledge of the Mew Two project—hell knows what he could do with Groudon’s DNA, I sure don’t want to—but I don’t know yet how much Masterball data Adrian left or taught to his son. If you’re right, he doesn’t _need_ it to take control of Kyogre, but… does he know that?”

“No, and we’re lucky that he’s an idiot and grabbed the wrong Orb at Mt Pyre,” Saylee sighed, “but the Orb he needs, the Blue Orb… Marc has it here. And if Archie gets near it and it, I don’t know, reacts to him, right in front of Groudon… the Red Orb reacted to him, so I’m pretty sure the Blue Orb will, and the one thing everybody knows about Groudon and Kyogre is how much they _hate_ each other. I don’t want to see how angry Groudon would be to have that in its bedroom, y’know?”

“What’s Marc trying to do here, anyway?” Key asked. “Do we know?”

“Groudon’s down here,” Lance said simply. “Magma finally found it just recently, but it’s asleep in a lake of magma. It’s the only reason this volcano is still active. Nothing to do with tectonic plates and crust ruptures; take Groudon out, and this thing would cool down to a big hunk of rock. Marc’s problem is that he can’t figure out how to get Groudon out. It won’t wake up.”

“That why they were tryin’ ta fire a damn meteor into the crater?” Teddy asked. “They were tryin’ ta make it explode or somethin’, right?”

“I guess they figured it would wake Groudon up,” Key said with a shrug.

“Supposedly, only the Orbs can do that, but Marc has the wrong one,” Saylee explained. “And Archie’s about to bring the correct Orb right to him, thinking he’s here to stop Marc.”

“Dan, anybody moving in the tunnels?” Lance called. Dan reappeared from behind the tanks again, this time dragging a rack of magma uniforms behind him.

“Nope, and that’s my cue to get the hell out of here,” he said simply. “You look like you’re planning to go do something dangerous, so at least take proper clothing for running around in a volcanic crater.” He patted the rack. “I know these things look dumb, but they’re actually extremely heat-resistant and there’s a breathing mask inside the hood that folds down in case of ash or whatever. Good luck, try not to die, I’m outta here. It’s been very.”

“Your crisis of conscience has been very helpful, thank you,” Lance said with a wave.

“Thank you,” Saylee said emphatically. “Just so you know, a bunch of rangers will be gathering in or around Lavaridge to storm… well, this place. If you could point them in the right direction, that’d be great, if you don’t want to go anywhere near them… fair enough.” Dan just waved and bolted out of the room.

“So if Archie isn’t in the base anywhere… are you _sure_ he’s here?” Key asked Saylee.

“ _Extremely_ ,” Saylee insisted. “And it’s making me extremely uncomfortable. I just _know_ all hell is going to break loose if Archie and both of those Orbs end up in the crater at the same time. Lance, are there any other ways into the crater?”

“Well, there’s the drop down from the lip that they could be planning to take down,” Lance said thoughtfully. “The heat updraft from the volcano is far too much for most Pokémon to fly over, and it makes it impossible to parachute into, so it’ll take them a while to climb down. I’ll cover that route.”

“An’ how’re you gonna get in, huh?” Sanborn demanded. Lance juggled one of his pokéballs.

“I said _most_ Pokémon,” he said pointedly. “Dragonite are _not_ most Pokémon, thank you very much. If you two think you can handle taking out Marc and his cronies on the ground, be my guest. I have to say, I’ve been infiltrating Magma for a couple weeks now, and I still know next to nothing about Marc. Nobody much does, except probably Kalle, who’s his second in command and I think his husband. He _seriously_ keeps to himself. I’ve barely even seen him. Seems like he was just as reclusive prewar, too, and we know almost nothing about what he actually did in the Cinnabar labs other than that he worked for Blaine.”

“That’s damning enough,” Saylee said. “He might not even be planning to awaken Groudon. If he can get its DNA… Groudon isn’t psychic like Mew and Mew Two. It could be easier to control.”

“What’s Mew Two?” Topaz asked. “I’ve heard of Mew, but I’ve never heard of there being more than one.”

“Genetically manipulated, insanely powerful Mew clone created in the last months of the Kanto civil war,” Saylee said shortly. “It was made to end the war, and… well, it sure did _that_. The project involved learning to read and manipulate the genetic code of outright _mythical_ Pokémon. You see why it’s a bad thing for a guy who can do that to be close to Groudon?”

“Clearly,” Key said, starting to dig through the rack of Magma uniforms. “Well, these are ugly, but if they keep us safe from magma, like the actual searing liquid fire stuff…” She frowned, stroking the material of the suit. “Will this really protect us?”

“Trust me, I’ve been down into the crater wearing this thing,” Lance said, getting to his feet and tugging his hood. “They’re made of firebrand. You know, the stuff they based on the lining of internal flame sacs of fire-types like your buddy there.” He nodded to Teddy. “There’s a reason you can stand near him without catching fire, and that reason is firebrand. Trust me, you might not think you’d ever want to wear something this ugly, but you’ll want it in the crater.”

“We’ll see you in there, then,” Saylee said, pulling out one of the smaller Magma suits. Lance waved and left. “I warn you, he’s zubatshit insane and I don’t like him, but I won’t deny that he comes in useful to have on your side when you’re facing someone who’s misusing Pokémon or Kanto prewar technology.”

“I guess I’ll take your word for it,” Key said, taking off her shoes and stepping into the attached boots. “Huh… invisible leggings. Are these firebrand too?”

“Looks like it,” Saylee said, putting her own shoes in her bag.

“So do they come in Pokémon sizes?” Sanborn asked. “I ain’t kiddin’. I didn’t even know I _could_ sweat ‘til I got in here.”

“He’s right,” Topaz agreed. “I’m from the desert too, and the heat in here is uncomfortable even for me. If the crater’s even hotter, I don’t know if I could fly like your friend claims his dragons can…”

“He’s not my friend,” Saylee said, pulling up her leggings. “Teddy, how do you feel?”

“Ya know me, I don’t feel no heat,” Teddy said with a shrug.

“Then you’re the only one we’ll be able to take into the crater with us,” Saylee said, setting aside her pokéball belt until she’d pulled up the skirt of the Magma uniform over her shorts. “Sanborn, I’ll have to put you away. Key, you’d better put Topaz away.”

“Someday, I should have a fire-type,” Key sighed, returning Topaz. She tucked her hair into the neck of her jumper, then pulled the hood up. “So where’s the breathing mask Dan promised?”

{}

“I can’t believe this.”

“Sssh.”

“I mean, the lava’s _right there_ , and I don’t feel a thing, do you?”

“Nope. Sssh.”

“I just wish this mesh stuff would stop catching on my glasses…”

“We’re all suffering, now _ssssh._ ”

The central crater of Mt Chimney was a curved cavern of about sixty metres in height, with a circular gap at the top where Saylee and Key had first fought Team Magma. Creeping along behind one of the drill tanks, Saylee, Key and Teddy could see two hooded figures working at some kind of portable console next to the lake of magma. Marc himself was immediately recognizable by his tall, thin stature and distinct red-and-grey longcoat, even with his head concealed by a helmet that looked to be made of the same stiff mesh that folded down from Saylee and Key’s hoods to protect their faces from the heat of the volcanic crater and hold their breathing apparatus in place. The other Magma was as tall, but notably broader, with his face also concealed by a mask like the one Saylee and Key were wearing. His uniform, probably as an indication of rank, had a cape.

“There’s a lot of space between us and them,” Key muttered as loudly as she dared. The masks muffled their voices, making it hard to hear each other.

“Teddy, do you think you could pick us up and get from here to there in one jump?” Saylee asked.

“Sure thing,” Teddy said, crouching down and wrapping a spindly arm around each of their waists. Their feet dangled off of the ground when he straightened up. The half-fighting-type’s grip felt strong and secure despite how thin his arms were compared to his legs. “Now?”

The Magma member who wasn’t Marc reached down to pick up a sack at their feet, unwrapping the cracked Blue Orb and holding it out to Marc.

“Now!” Saylee yelled. Teddy leapt up and through the smoke, landing between Marc and the other man, crouching to set Saylee and Key on the ground. They couldn’t feel the heat of the lava pool only a few feet away, but they could feel the intense pressure pushing them back.

“Hand over the Orb,” Saylee demanded of the Magma member, who had drawn back with the Orb clutched protectively to him. Key was at her back, watching Marc. “Teddy, get Marc!”

Teddy swung a kick at Marc’s shoulder, aiming to kick him away from the crater. Marc ducked and rolled under it, knocking past Key and coming up with a strong—and to Saylee, who had stepped towards the other Magma member and wasn’t watching Marc, unexpected—push to Saylee’s side that sent her falling towards the crater.

“I gotcha!” Teddy yelled, grabbing Saylee and swinging her away from the crater. Saylee gripped his arm gratefully.

“Get out of my way,” Marc growled, pushing Key aside and sending her sprawling across the floor. “Kalle, hand me the Orb!”

“NO!” Saylee yelled, leaning over Teddy’s arm and reaching for Marc as Kalle handed the Blue Orb to him. Her yell was drowned out by a tremendous _roar_ that shook the whole volcano cavern the second that Marc’s hand touched the Orb.

“Whoa-whoa-WHOA!” Teddy yelled over the sharp _crack_ of falling rock. Saylee’s heart leapt into her mouth as she felt Teddy fall backwards, the edge of the crater crumbling under his feet.

“SAYLEE!” she heard Key scream as she desperately reached up for a handhold with both hands, curling herself around Teddy’s arms as if to cling onto him. Someone’s hand grabbed hers, jerking her hard. There was a sharp tug of pain as Teddy’s claws raked past her stomach and his weight suddenly vanished.

“Teddy!” Saylee yelled, twisting to grab his pokéball and screaming in pain as the movement tugged at the cuts in her side, exposing them to the searing air where her suit was ripped. “TEDDY!”

“He is gone, he fell!” Marc shouted sharply. Saylee looked up in shock to realize that he was the one leaning over the edge with his hand gripping her wrist, the other holding the Blue Orb to his chest, despite its aura pulsing and pushing against him.

 _Just like the Red Orb and Archie_ , Saylee realized with a sick lurch. _Maximillion Hyland and Adrian Irving…_

Kalle was clinging onto Marc, trying to pull him back away from the edge. “Now for goodness’ sake, grab onto me so we can pull you up!” Marc shouted.

Saylee tried reaching for him with her left hand, then screamed in pain again as the stretching movement tore at her injuries again. She twisted her right hand around to grab Marc’s wrist and hunched her legs, trying to find a foothold on the stone. All the while, the cavern was shaking violently, and she prayed that there wouldn’t be another collapse. She felt a burning pulse of heat over the wounds to her side every time a plume of lava shot up.

When most of Saylee’s arm was over the top and her head was above the new, broken edge of the crater, Key grabbed her arm and hauled her up, sending them both sprawling across the hot stone. “Kalle, start the truck!” Marc yelled. The other man let go of him and fled for the drill tank that Saylee and Key had snuck up behind. “Kill me later, get inside the damn lava-proof truck right now,” Marc yelled, yanking Saylee and Key to their feet and shoving them towards the truck. Fleeing the falling rocks and flying magma, they piled inside the truck. It was somewhat cramped, as there were only seats for three people and there were already two inside.

“Courtney reports that she doesn’t know if Archie and Matt turned up because she was intercepted by a nutjob with dragons,” Kalle said. “She’s made her own break for it and she’ll meet us at the rendezvous point.” He threw a dirty look at the woman already sitting in the tank. “She seems to have slipped past, at least.”

Marc slammed the door shut, setting the locks and seals in place one-handedly. “Are you here alone, Shelly?” he demanded, rounding on the red-haired woman who was pressing closer to Kalle in a manner that clearly made him uncomfortable to make room for Saylee and Key.

“Like hell Archie would actually come here himself,” she snapped, looking down at Saylee and Key. “Why the hell couldn’t you be as good at getting in their way as you are at getting in ours?”

“Shut up,” Saylee snapped, pulling the top half of the Magma suit off, grinding her teeth in pain as she wrenched the fabric out of the burned and torn flesh on her stomach. She was in too much screaming pain from her wounds to really care about sitting there in her sports bra and Magma skirt-and-tights combo while she rooted one-handedly in her bag for her medbag. “Key, please say there isn’t any more cloth stuck in there…”

“Just one bit,” Shelley said, yanking it out. Saylee screamed in pain.

“Hey, careful!” Key snapped angrily, shoving between her friend and the Aqua woman.

“You’re really not supposed to do that,” Saylee gasped, biting down the pain long enough to punch the access code into her medbag. “Either of you volcano-dwellers able and willing to help me clean a burn wound?”

“I’ll help,” Kalle muttered quietly, pushing Shelley aside and taking the swab and cleaning fluid that Saylee passed awkwardly to him. “Numbing, too? Good stuff. Marc, the volcano’s erupting…”

“It’s not the volcano, it’s Groudon,” Saylee hissed. The pain at the first touch of the cleaning fluid was excruciating, but then the blissful numbness set in, taking away the pain of her physical injuries. The ghost of Teddy’s desperate last grab lingered, turning her stomach.

“What in the hell made you think _this_ was a good idea?!” Shelley demanded angrily, gesturing to the screens relaying images from outside of the tank. A tremendous claw came bursting out of the lava, slamming into the rocky plateau mere feet from the tank. Each white claw was longer than the tank, and the red-and-black hand to which they were attached could crush the Pallet settlement with ease. Groudon had been huge in Saylee’s Unown-induced hallucination, but it seemed that, like all Pokémon, it had simply continued to grow as it aged until it was outright titanic.

“But why…?” Marc muttered, scowling at the images of Groudon before looking down at the Blue Orb in apparent confusion.

“Why?! Because you brought the damn Blue Orb here, that’s why!” Shelley screeched furiously “You _knew_ it would summon Groudon—”

“The Blue Orb contains _Kyogre’s_ power, any fool can tell that just by listening to it!” Marc snapped, holding out the Orb, which was glowing erratically. “And it’s broken to boot! The break and the lying lore were no doubt to ensure that this _couldn’t_ happen!”

“Didn’t you think that it might piss Groudon off for you to bring its rival’s power here?” Key suggested.

“Groudon was sleeping!” Marc snapped back. “The Blue Orb shouldn’t have woken it! The only reason we brought it here was—” he broke off with a startled yelp.

They all yelled as the truck shook, buoyed up by a wave of lava as Groudon pulled itself out of the fiery pit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t even understand the messed-up combination of confusion and criticals that took Teddy from nearly full health to KO in a single turn. That seriously bloody hurt. 
> 
> Saylee  
> RIP Teddy the Blaziken, level 5-40


	25. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 18   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 27   
> Deaths: 2

Groudon was huge beyond words. The volcanic crater shattered and collapsed as it pulled itself up, its rumbling bellows resolving themselves into the word “TRAITOR!” Before the tank sank under the lava, Saylee, Key, Shelly Marc and Kalle caught a glimpse of one of Groudon’s madly rolling yellow eyes, an orb the size of a large house, beginning to glow red with rage.

Marc dove for the controls of the tank and sent it ploughing through the lava. It burst out of the boiling ooze in a side tunnel which was shaking violently and beginning to collapse. Marc activated the drill on the front, allowing them to smash through falling stone and make for the surface.

“So that’s why they call it Mother Nature,” Shelley muttered. She’d gone as white as a sheet.

“So I wasn’t the only one who thought that sounded female?” Key gasped.

“Kyogre’s probably female too, it’d fit the pattern,” Saylee growled, pulling a box of transparent burn bandages out of her medbag. “Thanks for your help cleaning, Kalle, much as I hate to be grateful to _you_ … and much as I don’t understand why the hell you saved our lives.”

“Nobody was supposed to die in there,” Marc said quietly. “Certainly not your Blaziken. I’m very sorry. Groudon should not have awoken, not to the Blue Orb…” He pulled down his hood, frowning at Saylee. He looked as pale and drawn as Saylee remembered from their previous confrontation at Mt Chimney, but his expression was considerably grimmer. “What pattern were you talking about?”

“I mean that if any—literally almost any—other person on this bloody planet had brought the Blue Orb here, not a single bloody thing would have happened!” Saylee shouted as she pressed a bandage to her side and started to position another over her stomach burns. She couldn’t feel them anymore, but they were making the inside of the tank smell sickeningly of cooked meat. “The kind of person who’ll use the power properly… ROSHIT! They chose you two so you’d keep fighting it out for them!”

“What the hell are you going on about?” Kalle asked agitatedly.

“You see that?” Saylee said, pointing to one of the viewscreens. They had surfaced and were rolling down the slopes of Mt Chimney, giving them a clear view of lava spurting out of every crack in the mountain as Groudon tried to smash her way out. “All that power’s coming to you, Marc. And after however many weeks or months of agony it takes for that power to figure out how to handle a human body, you’re gonna fight to the death against—against the guy with Kyogre’s power. That power’s coming to you because, in a human body, all those seals…” she pointed at the Blue Orb, which Marc gripped possessively. “…all those pokéballs and what have you that can contain Pokémon? They don’t work on humans. You and Kyogre’ll tear apart each other—and, incidentally, the planet—until you die. Congratu-fucking-lations!”

“He’s going to have Groudon’s _power_?!” Shelly shrieked angrily, going pale. “Hell NO!”

“No,” Marc echoed softly, going just as pale as Shelly. “That wasn’t the reason I did this… it was a hoax to draw Archie out, to draw him here, he’d never _listen_ otherwise…”

“Why the hell _should_ he listen to you?” Shelly demanded angrily. “After what you did to his father? No, Archie’s gone to take precautions against exactly _this_. In fact, by now…” She smugly switched on her radio, tuning it to the national news.

“… _state of the art, Gabby. It can go as deep as fifty thousand feet, which is a good seven thousand feet deeper than any other submarine currently operating on the planet. While we still have the schematics and can build another, until then Team Aqua will be impossible to…_ ”

“They stole a submarine?” Key said as Shelly switched the radio off again.

“The only submarine on the planet that can reach the depths of Kyogre’s resting place,” Shelly said proudly. “Even if he can’t wake it with the Red Orb, that doesn’t matter. He’ll still be able to capture and control it, and use its power to destroy Groudon and make this world a better place!”

“Okay, I know Kyogre’s a Pokémon, so I _guess_ a pokéball could catch it,” Key sighed in exasperation, “but there’s no _way_ even an Ultra Ball could hold it! It’s too strong!”

“Does he have the Master Ball?” Marc said quietly.

Saylee clocked Kalle on the head with her elbow in her haste to grab Marc’s shoulder and pull him around to face her. Marc pulled away immediately from her touch, but seemed to catch the expression on her face. “Say that again,” she demanded.

“You know of the Master Ball?” Marc said curiously.

“That abomination of technology that Silph created? The ignition point of the whole Kanto civil war?” Saylee snapped. “I hunted down and burned every schematic and prototype there was, but Archie’s father worked on it, didn’t he?”

“He did,” Marc said, glancing over her, looking at her for what seemed like the first time instead of skimming over her. Even with the bandages on her side and the blue tank top she was pulling over her head, most of her scars were very visible. “You’re from Kanto, aren’t you? So am I, and so is Archie. His father, Adrian…”

“Don’t you even _talk_ about him, you _murderer_!” Shelly spat. Kalle grabbed her as she lunged angrily towards Marc. “Adrian Irving was a good man, dammit, and he’s _dead_ because of you!”

“…worked for Silph Co. before fleeing the country with his family prior to the Mew Two psychic event,” Marc continued, ignoring them. “He was an engineering genius. He could have constructed a Master Ball for the purpose of capturing and controlling Kyogre twenty years ago if that was what he wished. We intended to save the designs as a very last resort against the likes of Groudon and Kyogre…”

“Not even they deserve that,” Saylee said angrily. She released Zac and Sanborn, who thanks to the confined space ended up with their claws extremely close to Marc and Kalle’s throats. “Thanks for the patchup and the rescue, but I’m still locking all three of you up. All three of you are culpable for Conspiracy To Destroy The World Through Sheer Bloody Idiocy, and Marc, you say you didn’t mean for anybody to die, but can you explain pushing me towards that lava pit? Because if you hadn’t, my Blaziken might _still be alive_.”

“You sayin’ Teddy’s kicked it?” Sanborn said, tightening his claws around Marc’s throat. “Just say the word, an’ imma rip this motherfucker _open_.”

“I already said that I never intended to kill you, and I meant it,” Marc said as Key set Leslie on Shelly. “I could tell your Blaziken was strong. I knew he’d catch you. I didn’t know the ground would collapse like that.”

“Sure, like you didn’t know that magma chamber would collapse on Adrian?” Shelly spat.

Marc’s jaw tightened. “Enough,” he sighed. “This conversation will go no differently than it has a million times before. Kalle.” A disturbing grin cracked across Kalle’s face. He flung Zac back, not caring as the Linoone’s claws ripped at his arm. Sanborn was knocked aside as Zac hit him, slamming them both into the inside tank wall. Marc slammed down a switch on the control panel at the same time, and Kalle grabbed onto him just as the roof opened and the chair Marc was on went shooting out.

“You cowardly bastards!” Shelly yelled, free to move after Leslie instinctively shot over to her brother to help him up. Shelly hauled herself up onto the roof of the truck. “Godsdammit, where are they?!”

“Skye!” Saylee called, releasing her Altaria out of the truck’s roof. Key released Topaz and Shikoba. “Kalle and Marc will be drifting down on a parachute somewhere! Find them!”

“They killed Teddy!” Zac added angrily.

“They _what_?!” Shikoba screeched, taking off sharply with Skye and Topaz in tow. Leslie darted up onto the roof after Shelly.

“Looks like Marc set this thing to roll to Mauville,” Shelly called, backing away carefully. “I’d get them to sound evacuation bells anywhere near Mt. Chimney. You can see the glow from here!”

“Wait!” Key yelled, climbing up after her. She was knocked back down by Leslie being flung down the opening. “Where are you going?” She yelled up.

“I’m gonna meet up with Matt and Archie. After that?” Shelly smirked down the aperture at them. “Like I’d tell _you_.” She pointed at Key. “ _You_ just mess with Archie, and _she—”_ she pointed at Saylee, “—is crazy. Bye, girls! It’s been terrible! Let’s do it again, never.”

Key hauled herself up again as Shelly dropped off of the truck. “She’s gone,” she sighed, dropping back into the truck. “Disappeared into the forest. What do we do now?”

“Unless you know how to stop this thing, we might have to wait until it reaches its destination,” Saylee sighed, standing up to go to the controls then sitting down heavily as her left leg gave out from under her. “Ow… bloody numbing solution.”

Leslie peered up at her, flicking her ears. “Is it really true, though?” Zac asked for her. “Ted’s dead?”

Saylee nodded, starting to cry as, in the absence of anyone to be angry at, grief took over. _I warned him, and he still stayed with me… oh, Teddy… I’m so sorry…_

“What about, um, the stuff about Marc and Groudon?” Key asked awkwardly. “You never said anything before…”

“I didn’t realize before,” Saylee muttered, wiping her eyes and appreciating the change in topic, at least for now. “I didn’t know until I saw the Blue Orb rejecting him the same way that the Red Orb rejected Archie. It all made sense from there…”

“So if Archie goes anywhere near Kyogre with the Red Orb…” Key said tremulously.

“…We get the aquatic equivalent of _that_ ,” Saylee said, pointing at the display of the volcano still visible on the monitor. Rocks and fire were shooting into the sky. “But as for how we’re going to find him at the bottom of the bloody ocean…”

“Well, Shelly did say she’s going to meet up with Matt and Archie somewhere,” Key pointed out. “I’ll bet that ‘research institute’ of theirs at Lilycove is involved.”

“You’re right,” Saylee said, scrambling for her pokégear and dialling. “Scott?”

“ _Sar! What the hell went on at Mt. Chimney? A bunch of rangers just ‘ported back saying they never saw you, but the damn volcano is erupting!_ ”

“It’s Groudon, it’s awake, sound the alarms and get people the hell away from that volcano,” Saylee said sharply. “You’ve heard about the submarine?”

“ _Of course! That’s where everyone is now, as a matter of fact. The Aqua Institute’s getting busted right open. Are you coming to join in or what?_ ”

“We might not be able to,” Saylee said. “Look, is anyone spare to watch the coasts? One of the Aqua admins is still running loose and planning to rendezvous with the sub, which means it’s going to have to surface, or at least reach swimming depth. I would’ve expected the Aqua Institute, but they might be revising that plan if the rangers are already there.”

“ _Damn. I’ll spread the word on that, as well. Anything else you want me to PA?_ ”

“Marc and Kalle are floating around somewhere too,” Saylee said. “Our flying-types are out looking for them, but, y’know…”

“ _Eyes out. Got it. Sounds like you ladies have had an interesting night._ ”

“And it doesn’t look like life’s going to get boring any time soon, sadly,” Saylee sighed, hanging up.

“What about your not friend, Lance?” Key asked, fiddling with some of the console controls.

“Better see if he’s alive,” Saylee sighed, dialling. She didn’t keep Lance’s number saved, but she was annoyed to find that she remembered the number anyway. She was half-relieved and half-annoyed when he picked up. “You’re still alive, then.”

“ _That’s my line. I was flying above the volcano, not running around_ inside _the damn thing. I had one of the Magma admins, but she got away when the volcano, you know, erupted._ ”

“Can you do us a favour and get your dragons patrolling the coasts?” Saylee asked. “I’m sure your dragons have much better night vision than our Pokémon, and the stolen sub is going to surface sometime soon to pick up an Aqua admin. Things are only going to get worse if Kyogre gets awoken as well as Groudon.”

“ _You’re telling me. I’ve been trying everything against this thing—Hyper Beam, Blizzard, Hydro Pump—and all that happened was it went underground, and I think it was more bothered by the volcano coming down on its head than us._ ”

“You _attacked_ Groudon?” Saylee asked, feeling her head spin. “You’re _serious_?”

“What,” Key said flatly.

“ _You attacked Ho-oh, didn’t you? Can’t let you be crazier than me, bad for both of our images. I’ll get my dragons patrolling, but where the hell are you_?”

“I’ll let someone know when I find out,” Saylee sighed, hanging up and flopping back against the chair. She felt extremely tired, and her vision was swimming.

“You alright, Lee?” Sanborn asked with concern. “Girl, you blasting heat like the desert!”

“Oh, shit,” Key said, putting her hand over Saylee’s forehead. “Not that It’d be a surprise if you picked up an infection in a burn like that, but still… hang in there. We’re not far from Mauville.”

“Gotta tell them to… evacuate…” Saylee murmured, trying and failing to keep her eyes open.

{}

“You’re lucky we caught that infection fast,” the doctor said, checking Saylee’s vitals. “You’ve got a good immune system on you, and you’re responding well to the medication. The injuries aren’t too deep, but you could have bled out if they hadn’t been cauterized by the burns… going to scar pretty badly as a result, though.”

“I can live with that,” Saylee said, shivering at the cold touch of the cleaning gel.

“You’re really going to have to watch how you move for the next couple of weeks,” the doctor continued warningly, tucking a strand of lavender hair behind her ear. “Although from the looks of it, you know about how scars heal.” She gestured at the older burns across Saylee’s back. “You’re a ranger, right? You’re the only sort that tend to keep scars like that. Apply the cream and change the bandages daily, and try not to rip that open. I’d advise taking some holiday leave.”

“I’m on holiday just now, actually,” Saylee said. The doctor raised an eyebrow at her; her lavender hair colour stood out quite sharply against her dark skin, emphasizing her incredulous expression.

“Are you the type who needs to holiday alone in a locked hotel room to stay out of trouble?” she asked, applying burn bandages to Saylee’s side. “My cousin’s a ranger, and you have to all but tie him up to keep him out of—” A siren suddenly went off outside. “What the hell?”

“ _This is not a drill_ ,” a voice said over the PA. “ _Mauville must evacuate. Earthquakes will soon hit this area. Please proceed in an orderly fashion towards transport towards Slateport. Please do not crowd the teleporters. Repeat: This is not a drill…_ ”

“Am I cleared to move about on my own?” Saylee asked the doctor, who was outright staring at her as the announcement looped. “I’m sure you have other patients to get out of here.”

“I’ll feel all the safer once you and your cursed luck are outta here,” the doctor said, waiting until Saylee had pulled her tank top back on to open the door. “Still can’t tell if your luck is amazingly good or amazingly bad, though.”

“Both, and they just kinda cancel each other out in the end,” Saylee sighed, grabbing her bag and heading for the door, moving somewhat stiffly with her left arm clamped to her side. “Thanks, doc!”

“The safe thing to do would be to get south or get out of Hoenn!” the doctor called after her. Saylee ignored her, going downstairs to see Key standing on a chair to stay out of the way of the flood of patients being herded towards the hospital’s emergency teleporters. Her hair was dark blonde from the shower, and she was towelling it dry while watching a news report about the raid on the Aqua Institute.

“Apparently the submarine was there, they just didn’t reach the access bay in time,” Key said, helping Saylee get up onto a chair next to her. “The strike teams got in easily enough, but then they got split up and confused by portpads hidden in the floor. The sub was only spotted as it was leaving.”

 _Short-range single-destination warp pads… Silph built those, too,_ Saylee thought, remembering the Silph headquarters that she and Blue had tentatively navigated five years before. _Timing’s right, too. Archie’s father really did rebuild Silph technology… the Master Ball too_ … _?_

The report switched to one about the evacuation orders about Mt Chimney, repeating the warnings of earthquakes and abnormal seismic activity. “Let’s go to the Ranger station in Lilycove and check out what they found,” Saylee decided. “They may have found a lead to where Team Aqua wants to go next.”

“I’m up for that,” Key said, getting up and following her out.

“You should go home,” Saylee said, walking sideways through the crowd with her right side forward to protect her injuries. “I’ve gotten you into way too much danger already, which is kind of the opposite of what I promised your parents. Going after gods and supervillains will be dangerous.”

“Like it’s not going to be dangerous anyway?” Key said with a shrug. “Mom called to ask me to go home, but… If I go home, I’ll just be helping shepherd the kids around from evac warning to evac warning. I told them that I’m with you and I’m safe. Okay, that part was probably a lie,” she added quickly when Saylee opened her mouth to interject, “but I figure if I stick with you I’ll stand a better chance of actually knowing what’s going on and maybe even making a difference, you know? Besides…” She flung an arm around Saylee’s shoulders, helping her push her way out of the door while covering her injured side. “You’re my friend. That means that the crazy shit you do, I do.” They made it to the front doors and stepped outside. “Do you see Shikoba, Topaz or Skye anywhere?”

“I’m sure they’re looking for us, and they’ll be here soon,” Saylee said, looking up at the sky. There were still a few hours until dawn, but Mauville in full evacuation mode was as bright as day.

The first tremor shook the ground sharply under their feet, filling the air with frightened screams.


	26. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 18   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 27   
> Deaths: 2

Lilycove was an hour’s flight from Mauville, so once they were up in the air and en route, Saylee gave Blue a call.

“ _Two calls in three days? Is everything alright_?” he said with serious concern.

“I could just be calling to remind you that I love you,” Saylee said.

“ _Nah, I know that. You’re taking the piss, so it really isn’t good, is it? Is this about that volcano that’s erupting in Hoenn? You’re not in it, are you?_ ”

“Not anymore,” Saylee said.

“ _See, I was being sarcastic, and I should know better. It’s the ‘anymore’ that has me_ really _worried._ ”

“Oh, no, it gets worse,” Saylee sighed. “It’s not just a volcano. It’s Groudon.”

“ _Well, shit. Did you ever find out if this is to do with those rocks of yours_?”

“Fragments of the Red and Blue Orbs,” Saylee explained. “Supposedly, so long as the Orbs are broken, Groudon and Kyogre can’t be reunited with their full powers.”

“Hold up, darlin’,” Skye interrupted, craning her head around to peer at Saylee. “You’re sayin’ this—” she nodded down to the ground below, which was audibly and, in the breaking dawn, visibly shuddering. Occasionally, somewhere below, a tree fell with a resounding _crash_. “—is Groudon on _low_ power?”

“Terrifyingly, yes,” Saylee groaned. “Apparently, they can still wake, although that might have been the avatar’s presence rather than the Orb, since the wrong Orb was present. It might well have been both.”

“ _You found ‘em, huh? Who is it? Not a kid again, I hope._ ”

“Nope, criminals,” Saylee sighed. “Both of ‘em are, and they have a complicated enough relationship as it is without Kyogre and Groudon being thrown into the mix. My plan is to lock them up, keep the hell away from their gods, and see if there’s another way to calm the big guys down without letting them meld with their avatars.”

“ _Hmm. Well, for what it’s worth… you mentioned Orbs, right? There’s been a big hubbub here about the Embedded Tower._ ”

“That collapsed ancient tower near Cianwood?” Saylee asked. “What about it? What does it have to do with the Orbs?”

“ _Well, just a few hours ago, according to people in Cianwood, it lit up like a fireworks display. Green and yellow light flashing out of every window. When Chuck went inside, there were all these lines glowing red, blue and yellow… and this green sphere thing appeared, like a perfectly spherical emerald, they said._ ”

“A Green Orb?” Saylee asked in surprise. “Of course!” She suddenly remembered the scroll she’d seen the archaeologists cleaning. The torn parts hadn’t quite matched up, and there seemed to be far too much missing text. _There was a third Orb depicted on the scroll_!

“ _Yep. Freaked the hell out of Chuck because he said when he held it, it felt like wind was blowing through him. Some archaeologists said the same thing. They’re scouring the tower trying to figure out where the hell it came from._ ”

“Let me know if you find anything out, okay?” Saylee said. “One angry god is enough to deal with, I don’t want to have to deal with two or more…”

“ _Have they cleared out that data bug that was keeping you from importing Pokémon yet? Eric and Perun are raring to go. Mary and Toby and his parents are worried about you, too._ I’m _hella worried about you. By the way, who’s dead? You’ve been not crying the whole time you’ve been talking. I can hear it and it’s not good for you._ ”

“All true, damn you,” Saylee sighed. “Teddy. My Blaziken.”

“ _The one you got in Littleroot? Shit. Listen, I’m gonna go bust some heads in the immigration office and maybe find somebody with a Porygon-2 to get into their systems for me. Bloody gods are on a rampage there, and you need your A-team. I’ll try and hitch a ship out there myself. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’ll smuggle your Pokémon in myself if I have to._ _Try not to die before then, okay?_ ”

“I’ll do my best,” Saylee said with a choked laugh. “I love you.”

“ _Love you too. See you soon_.”

“You two sound real sweet,” Skye commented with a giggle. “Your mate’s comin’ here, darlin’?”

“The human word is _boyfriend_ ,” Saylee corrected her with a smile. “And yes. I don’t know if anything can make this mess better, but I’ll sure feel like it once he gets here.”

{}

The streets of Lilycove were bustling with activity. Locals were hurrying home through the first wave of panicked evacuees, who for the most part had nowhere to go and were milling about in a mass of fright and confusion. Saylee, Key, Skye, Topaz and Shikoba were forced to land at the edge of town, return the Pokémon and start walking through the crowds to find the Ranger Station.

Saylee was so lost in her thoughts of the Orbs that she walked right into Key’s back. “Ow,” Saylee said, rubbing her nose where it had banged into Key’s shoulder. “You make a better wall than a door, you know.”

Key didn’t seem to hear her. “Is that Rob and Bacent?” she said in surprise, pointing at a couple of teenage boys walking across the street from them. One of them did have orange-and-green striped hair, which Saylee remembered seeing on a boy at Key’s father’s gym. “Hey, it is! ROB! BACENT!”

The two boys turned to look at them. Bacent started to wave, but Rob grabbed his shoulder and muttered something to him that made him flinch. The two turned and ran.

“Hey!” Key exclaimed, running up to the crosswalk and taking off after them. “WAIT! ROB! BACENT!”

“I thought Rob was at your dad’s gym?” Saylee asked, jogging after her as fast as she could with an arm wrapped awkwardly around her left side to protect it from the jostling crowds. The painkillers were still working, but her entire left side felt so stiff she could barely move.

“He was supposed to be, and Bacent’s supposed to be at University in Rustboro, so hell knows what they’re doing here…” Key shouted back, rapidly leaving Saylee behind. “OI!”

Saylee finally caught up to Key circling a small two-story hotel near the beach. “They went inside and there doesn’t seem to be any other exits,” Key reported.

“Then let’s go in and find them,” Saylee said. “The way they ran away screams ‘suspicious’ to me.” They walked through the door and into a canteen-style area, where a tanned man with bleached hair was being assisted by a pair of Machop in attaching raised edges to their dining tables to prevent things from falling off. The tremors in Lilycove weren’t large yet, but they were constant.

“’Scuse me,” Key said. “Did a brown-haired guy with glasses and an orange-and-green haired guy with glasses just run in here?”

“Lots of travellers stay here, ma’am,” the man said, not looking up from the table edge he was struggling with. “Mattie, can you give me a hand putting this in place? Try not to break this one.” One of the Machop rolled his eyes, but came over to help.

“I just want to know if you saw them _right now_ ,” Key said, frustrated.

Saylee stepped forwards, pulling out her Ranger ID. “I know you’re not supposed to talk about your customers,” she said, shoving her ID under the man’s nose so he couldn’t ignore it. “But I need you to tell me.”

“Criminals, are they?” the man said with a scowl. “Should’ve known. Things have gone missing since the three of ‘em got here, y’know. Never caught ‘em at it, but maybe you can help.”

“Three?” Key said curiously.

“Upstairs, room three,” the man said, handing over his keycard. “Two guys and a girl, all teenagers. They’re the only ones in that room.”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, taking the keycard and heading for the stairs. “Do you know who the girl is?” she asked Key quietly.

“I think so,” Key responded softly. “They were the only ones who really got along with her… it’d explain why they ran away from us, and why things are going missing…” she reached out and knocked on the door of Room Three. “What?” she said when Saylee held up the keycard pointedly. “Can’t hurt to try manners first.”

“You followed us? Seriously?” Rob complained, opening the door.

Key threw Saylee a grin and stepped inside. “You ran away, it was suspicious,” she said. “Hey, Bacent. Hey, Ledah.”

The room was a tiny dorm room, with two bunkbeds and a plate-sized seaward window. Lying off the edge of the top-left bunk was a girl who looked to be about Key’s age with extremely long black hair that trailed nearly to the floor.

“Hi, Key,” Ledah sighed unenthusiastically. “This that foreign chick I heard you eloped with?”

“Nice to meet you,” Saylee said, waving. “My name’s Saylee.” Ledah turned over, propping herself up on her elbow and glaring sharply at her.

“…from Kanto?” she asked quietly. Saylee nodded, slightly alarmed by the girl’s sudden angry change in demeanour. Ledah jumped off of the bed and shoved Saylee against the wall. Saylee gasped in pain as her side was jolted, doubling over just in time to avoid a punch to the face.

“Hey! Ledah! Whoa! Hey!” Rob yelled, grabbing Ledah by the arm and pulling her back as she made a spirited attempt to claw Saylee’s eyes out. “Gimme a hand, Bacent!”

“You’re the reason my mum and dad are in jail, you bitch!” Ledah yelled. “They weren’t big or important! They weren’t doing anything _really_ illegal or wrong or anything! But thanks to _you_ , they got locked up and I got sent to this stupid, overheated country! Where are my Pokémon?! Guys, bring me my pokéballs!”

“Ledaaaah, if you break the place or commit a murder we’re going to draw attention, and staying in this crappy little dump was supposed to be a way to _avoid_ that,” Bacent pointed out, helping Rob haul her back. “Sorry, lady.”

“No real harm done,” Saylee grunted, pulling up the bottom of her shirt to check her bandages and make sure nothing had split or started bleeding profusely. “I’m sorry about your parents, but… were they in Team Rocket? Because what Team Rocket was doing—”

“Was nothing to do with _them_ ,” Ledah said sulkily, relaxing a little. Rob and Bacent didn’t let her go, to her visible annoyance. “They just stole stuff. Not even big stuff, just pickpocketing pokégears and shit, stuff people didn’t really need and could probably afford to replace anyway.”

“The innkeeper’s missing whatever you stole from here,” Key pointed out.

“Bad Ledah,” Rob admonished her. “The point of this trip was kleptomania for the greater good, remember?” Ledah rolled her eyes.

“What does that mean?” Saylee said suspiciously. “Have the three of you been robbing somewhere? Didn’t you want to be a gym leader, Rob? I don’t know if you know this, but they do take criminal records into account when assigning new leaders. Theft charges tend to lose points, just a tip.”

“We were robbing the Aqua place, ceez,” Ledah said, shaking off Rob and Bacent and climbing up to sit on the top bunk again, dangling her legs off the edge and giving them a couple of experimental swings to see if Saylee’s head was in kicking distance. “Police and rangers were all over that, so if someone spotted him, well, he’s just an overenthusiastic young trainer helping out the forces of law and justice, isn’t he? As for _me…_ ” she flicked her hair out, rolling her eyes. “Obviously, since my parents were Rockets, I’m a lost cause from the start, aren’t I?”

“I love the way nobody cares about my criminal record,” Bacent commented.

“Yeah, but neither do _you,_ ” Rob pointed out. Bacent shrugged.

“Wait, you guys were robbing the Aqua HQ?” Key said in surprise. “What did you steal?”

“Eh, some stuff out of what I think was their boss’ office,” Ledah said with a shrug. “It was pretty easy to move about with the police and those Aqua guys distracting each other, but there wasn’t a load of valuable stuff around. Looked like they were clearing out already. But I managed to jack some gold and a weird pokéball from a bag sitting on a desk in the office before some big beefy guy ran off with it.”

“A weird pokéball?” Saylee said quickly.

“Seriously weird,” Rob said with a nod. “It’s like twice the size of regular balls.”

“That’s what he said,” Bacent said immediately.

“Ledah, I need to see that pokéball,” Saylee said urgently, weathering the younger girl’s fierce glare. “Punch me if you want, but I need to see that pokéball.”

“Free punch? Sure, but look with your eyes, not with your hands,” Ledah said, reaching into her shirt and somehow managing to produce a large blue pokéball without causing anything to visibly change in shape.

“Are you _seriously_ gonna let her punch you?” Key said. Saylee nodded, not really hearing her, staring distantly at the pokéball. The backhanded slap that Ledah jumped down and gave her didn’t really register; the girl had clever little thieving fingers, not big meaty punching hands. Saylee snapped her head back immediately, still staring at the pokéball. _It’s a different colour from the broken ones I found in the Indigo base, but the size and shape… those distinctive domes of wiring…_

“I don’t know what’s worse,” she said flatly. “That Archie really has built or inherited a Master Ball, or that he’s gone to wake Kyogre _without_ it.”

“What’s a Master Ball, and why are you looking at it like it’s a dead baby?” Rob asked.

“Kyogre as in the mythical sea god Kyogre?” Bacent asked sceptically.

“Have you guys been hanging out with Aggie too much?” Ledah said, moving to put the pokéball away again. Saylee grabbed her wrist. “Let me go, bitch!”

“Listen to me,” Saylee said fiercely. “That pokéball is an abomination that seriously and permanently brain damages any Pokémon put inside it, turning them into a mindless tool that can’t _breathe_ without instruction. You have to let me destroy it.”

“Isn’t it illegal to make something like that?” Bacent asked, peering with more distinct interest at the pokéball.

“I’m gonna go ahead and guess that, since Aqua’s turned out to be a criminal organization, they don’t really care,” Rob pointed out.

“His father built it to catch Kyogre,” Key muttered. “Guys, I swear, I wouldn’t believe it myself if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, but Mt Chimney isn’t erupting. It’s Groudon, digging around underground. That pokéball might be the only thing that can calm her down. If we do that, Archie won’t have to wake Kyogre, right?” she said hopefully to Saylee.

“Won’t have to, might anyway,” Saylee said sternly. “You could be right about it calming Groudon down, but…”

“Hold it,” Ledah interjected. “You gave that whole holier-than-thou spiel about how it’s an abomination that causes brain damage and shit and you need to destroy it, and now you’re talking about USING it? What is _wrong_ with you?”

“Hey, why are you jumping down _her_ throat? I suggested it,” Key said with a frown.

“Yeah, but _you’re_ not a self-righteous bitch who acts like she knows better,” Ledah said flippantly.

“You’re right, though,” Saylee said, rubbing her forehead. Her head was starting to spin. “That thing shouldn’t be used, not even… _especially_ on a god.”

“If you’re gonna talk crazy about Groudon, can you talk to somebody who cares, like Aggie?” Rob sighed. “You’re weirding me out, and we probably need to GTFO anyway. We jacked some gold nuggets, and if you can’t pawn those in Mauville you can’t pawn ‘em anywhere.”

“Good luck with finding a fence. Mauville’s evacuating,” Saylee said. “Listen, the innkeeper thinks I’m investigating you for theft. Give me the Master Ball and I’ll pay the bill and tell him you’re innocent.”

“You say that like we were planning to pay anyway,” Ledah said flippantly.

“Hey, I’m the one who signed us in,” Rob objected.

“You mean you used your _real_ name?” Ledah said incredulously.

“Ledah, just give her the damn thing, it’s creeping me out,” Bacent said, looking uneasily at the Master Ball. “I keep imagining my Pokémon as zombies now.”

“…fine,” Ledah said, tossing the Master Ball at Saylee’s head. “Now I can’t unthink zombie-Quillamina. Thanks for that.”

“Any time,” Bacent said, patting her on the shoulder.

“For what it’s worth, I am sorry if you’ve suffered because of me,” Saylee said, pocketing the Master Ball.

“Pfft… yeah, right,” Ledah huffed, crossing her arms. “Interfering little goody two-shoes… I _know_ they’re criminals, but they’re my _parents_ and… are you fucking _laughing_ at me?” she yelled angrily.

“I’m not, I swear to your god of choice,” Saylee said, covering her mouth with her hand. “I’m just… I’m so sorry. I just don’t do ‘my parents, right or wrong’.”

“You’re saying you’d put your parents in jail?” Rob said incredulously. “That’s, uh… kinda cold, isn’t it?”

“To be fair, my birth father has not exactly been an active influence in my life,” Saylee said, trying not to giggle. Part of her wondered if she was getting hysterical. “And if I ever find the bastard, he is _so_ arrested. Let me know if you see him around, won’t you? His name’s Giovanni.”

She took a moment to enjoy their expressions before turning and leaving.


	27. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 18   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 27   
> Deaths: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, for anyone who doesn't remember who Eric and Perun are (which is understandable because they were only in a couple of chapters at the end of Blood and Bond), they were Red's Espeon and Pikachu and the only two of his Pokemon whose pokeballs were sufficiently undamaged that they could be safely recovered. They've since been living and working with Saylee.

“Was she fucking serious?” Ledah demanded as the door closed behind Saylee.

“It’s, uh, complicated, but, um… yeah,” Key said uncomfortably. “I’d better go after her. We need to talk to our Pokémon… anyway, good to see you guys. Take care of yourselves!”

“We should be saying that to you!” Rob called after her as she went for the door. “You’re not gonna tell your dad you saw us here, are you?”

“Saw who?” Key said with a wink, shutting the door behind her.

Saylee was sitting not far from the Inn, on a viewing bench on a cliff over the sea, staring at the five pokéballs sitting on her lap and rubbing her injured side absentmindedly. “Are you okay?” Key asked, sitting down next to her. “She didn’t really hurt you, did she?”

“No, but I think I hurt her, and I’m trying to deal with feeling guilty about that while at the same time feeling like I did the right thing,” Saylee sighed. “She’s from Johto, right?” Key nodded. “Yeah, I think if she’d ever lived in Kanto she wouldn’t be quite so upset about living here. And I know that was a douche move bringing up Giovanni. Not giving a shit about a parent that you’ve only interacted with when he’s tried to kill you is completely different from being expected not to care about parents you’ve grown up with and lived with. Being told to put Mum in jail, or my stepdad… I like him a lot, he makes Mum so happy, I’d hate to have to arrest him, although if he’d done something bad enough to get him into jail and was putting Mum through having a second criminal husband, I wouldn’t have to arrest him because I’d fucking murder him…” She sighed heavily, dropping her head into her hands.

Key tentatively put her arm around Saylee’s shoulders, not knowing what to say but glad that Saylee at least leaned into the embrace. “Bloody hell, listen to what a mess I am right now,” Saylee half-sobbed. “As a rule, I try not to acknowledge Giovanni’s existence, let alone his biological relationship to me. EVER. But I just shouted about him to a room of people I don’t know so I could one-up an angry kid.” She placed one hand over her pokéballs. “Winnie… William… Polly… now Teddy. Every time we tangle with them, I lose someone. And despite that, I’ve never been _scared_ of Magma or Aqua. They’ve never been as outright malicious or evil or dangerous as Rocket. Gods, it’s almost like being _proud_ of that bastard, in a way. Like I want to strut up to Archie and go ‘My dad built a better evil organization than yours!’ Pathetic, huh?” She barked out a humourless laugh. “I wasn’t scared of them until I saw Groudon. Now I’m terrified.”

“To be fair, that was terrifying,” Key said, holding onto her a little more securely as a tremor rocked the ground under them. The regular rhythm of the waves crashing below them changed, growing disturbed. “You didn’t show it. You went right on ahead, getting your wound cleaned, questioning Marc, not utterly murdering Marc…”

“You should’ve seen me when I was fifteen, first time I saw a Pokémon die,” Saylee said heavily. “I went utterly catatonic more than once, had to be dragged out of it by my Pokémon… I just kind of trained myself to keep going, to focus on what’s right in front of me and deal with things one task at a time. I do it when working cases as a Ranger, too. You see some bad shit sometimes, and it helps you keep your vigilante justice on the side of moral superiority and not on the side of psychopathic blood revenge if you focus on the target of ‘catch the guy’ and don’t let it expand to ‘catch the guy who freaked out and bludgeoned to death the seven-year-old who stole his last bottle of clean water’. Clean up injuries of those still alive, get to safety, deal with what’s in front of you… and then when I have a moment, when I don’t have an immediate goal, all that stuff I’ve been holding back _crushes_ me.” She leaned into Key’s side a bit. “You can tell I’ve been piling for too long if I’m throwing Giovanni’s name around. So I’m setting aside this time to tell them about Teddy.” She held up the pokéballs. “Zac and Sanborn already know. So does Skye. I don’t think Oberon ever actually met him… but he and Molly were really close. How do I tell her?”

“I’ll let mine out too, I need to let Thomas know too,” Key sighed. “He and Teddy were friends… he should know.” She picked her pokéballs off her belt. “On three?”

“Okay,” Saylee said, taking a deep breath and scooping up her five remaining pokéballs in her hands. “One… two…” she looked at the handful of pokéballs that Key was clutching. “Still scared to let Python out?”

“I’m just… scared of him getting angry again,” Key admitted. “I’m scared to think he’ll be out of control, that he might hurt someone…”

Saylee nodded, remembering the terrifying feeling of having the angry Mightyena’s teeth mere inches from her throat. “I understand, but you can’t keep him in his pokéball forever,” she said softly. “I used to have this Gyarados called Gabriel. He had been experimented on by Team Rocket, forced to evolve too soon, and he could be… difficult. He had huge amounts of power that he just couldn’t control. He often didn’t hear me giving commands. Training him was very complicated, and I frequently had to return him to calm him down and then release him again. But that’s the benefit of pokéballs; when you release Python, it’ll be as if he’s just woken up from a nap. He won’t immediately go for my throat. If he does lose it, you can return him again and we can try again later. He’s angry and upset about his mate dying, and why shouldn’t he be? That’s no reason to lock him up forever.”

“You’re way too forgiving,” Key said nervously, adding Python’s pokéball to the pile.

“To Pokémon, yes,” Saylee sighed. “Okay, again. One… two… three!”

They both threw their hands of pokéballs into the air. Skye, Topaz and Shikoba flew up, while Thomas, Zac, Leslie, Sanborn, Molly, Manami, Python and Oberon appeared on the ground in front of them.

“Who’s this fruit?” Thomas said, crossing his arms and peering down at Oberon.

“You talkin’ to me?” Oberon said, crossing his arms and glaring right back.

Thomas ignored him, looking around. “And where’s Teddy?” he added. Zac, Leslie and Sanborn’s faces all fell; Topaz, Shikoba and Skye had evidently figured out what was going on and were circling too far above for their expressions to be seen. “Good to see you’ve calmed down, Python.”

The Mightyena was crouched with his head bowed, growling under his breath as he sniffed at the air. “Not easy with _her_ sitting there smelling like raw meat,” he muttered, glancing at Saylee. Molly, Zac, Oberon and Sanborn moved protectively in front of their trainer.

“You go anywhere near her again and Teddy will Double Kick you into oblivion,” Molly snapped, looking around. “Lee? Where _is_ Teddy?” Saylee opened her mouth, then closed it again, clutching her side against a flare of pain that wasn’t entirely physical.

Thomas stared at her, then leapt over and grabbed Key on the arm. “Where the hell is he, Key?” he said urgently. “Why the hell is everyone else out, but not him? What happened? Just say it, Shaydammit!”

Leslie curled up with her face in her tail. “I-I can tell them if you can’t, Lee,” Zac said tremulously.

“No, I’m your trainer, I’ll do it,” Saylee said, taking a deep, shaking breath. “I-I’m so sorry, guys… I failed. Marc raised Groudon, and he k… he killed Teddy. He’s gone…” She started crying again in wrenching sobs that made the wounds in her side hurt. “I’m so, so sorry… I’m such a failure…”

“Can’t you keep _anyone_ alive?” Python said scathingly. A second later, Thomas was holding one of his leaf blades to the Mightyena’s throat.

“Shut the hell up,” the Grovyle snapped angrily. “Stop talking to her like she’s a damn murderer. In case you haven’t noticed, Teddy was murdered by _Marc_ , not her. Polly was killed by a possessed psychic who was so crazy they killed their own Pokémon, _not by her_. And that was because of Marc and Archie, too. They’re the murdering bastards who need to pay, got it? Or are you too stupid to understand that? Oh, or are you just too scared to go after them, so attacking a weak, injured human is more your style?”

Python snarled. “I am _not_ scared!” he yowled angrily.

“Neither were Polly or Teddy,” Key said, tearfully but firmly. “They both fought very bravely because they thought, like we do, that fighting Marc and Archie is the right thing to do. If you don’t want to come after them with us…”

“Of course I do!” Python snapped. “I’m going to rip their throats out!”

“Focus on ripping _their_ throats, then, and _not_ those of your teammates!” Manami chastised him. “Goodness knows we’ve lost enough of those already… oh, Molly, dear…” she hugged Molly, who was quietly weeping.

“I’m not gonna attack her again,” Python ground out, stepping back from Thomas and then turning around and stalking off. “I just… I need to be alone.”

“Th-thank you, Thomas,” Saylee said after a moment of quiet. “I just…”

“You seem like you’re beating yourself up plenty already,” Thomas said, crossing his arms again and looking away. “I… y’know what, dammit, I just need to go be on my own just now too. Losin’ Teddy’s… it’s hard to take in. Call me if you see any Magma assholes that need beat up.” He scrambled down the side of the cliff. Saylee glanced up at the flying Pokémon above them. Shikoba caught her look, nodded, and soared off to keep an eye on Thomas.

Key sat down next to Saylee, putting her arm around her shoulders. Leslie climbed up into their laps, licking at the tears on Saylee’s cheeks.

“She wants you to hug her,” Zac sniffed. “I kinda want a hug, too…”

“C’mere,” Saylee said, putting one arm around Leslie and reaching out the other to him. Zac hopped up onto the bench next to her, and she put her arm around him, burying her face in his fur and crying for as long as she needed to.

{}

Thomas and Python still hadn’t returned by the time Saylee had cried herself out, so she focused on caring for and grooming her Pokémon. _Every little helps,_ she thought as she pruned the dead tips of Oberon’s curling red leaves. She hadn’t had a Gloom in years, not since Olivia, but Oberon was a lot healthier-looking than she remembered Olivia being, his colours brighter and leaves lusher. _Anything that helps them stay alive._

“Is that you?” Key asked, looking around at an insistent _buzz_.

Saylee dug her pokégear out of her bag and almost smiled at the display. “Hey, Blue,” she said, answering and tucking the ‘gear under her ear while she went back to caring for Oberon. “I’m not in any mortal danger right now, I swear.”

“ _Good to hear,_ ” Blue said. “ _So they_ FINALLY _sent a Porygon-2 into the international system and guess what?_ ”

“It founds something?” Saylee asked.

“ _Sorta,_ ” Blue said. “ _They sent Porygon before and nothing ever happened. But this Porygon-2 came back… well, whatever the computer equivalent of black and blue is. Something in there attacked it._ ”

“So the problem is a Porygon… or Porygon-2?” Saylee suggested.

“ _Whatever it is is way tougher than a Porygon-2, but they’re gonna send a bunch in and see if they can’t take it together,”_ Blue said. “ _Thought you’d want to know_.”

“So I’ll get the rest of my Pokémon in,” Saylee said, almost melting with relief. There was no way to fight Aqua and Magma without risk, but Tobias, Mary, Perun and Eric were extremely experienced in not dying. “That’s brilliant. Thank you!”

“ _I’m heading out to check out the ferries just now, but Gramps’ll send your Pokémon through soon as the system’s fixed,_ ” Blue promised. “ _Love you. Don’t die._ ”

“Same,” Saylee said, finally managing to smile as she hung up.

“You two are kinda cute in such a bizarre way,” Key commented. “How’d you two meet?”

“We grew up together,” Saylee said. “We were best friends, then we hated each other, then we fought a lot, then we were pissed off at each other, then I went to another country and we missed each other.”

“Humans are so damn complicated,” Oberon muttered.

“Bizarre,” Key reiterated, glancing over Saylee’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s that weird guy!”

“Sar Kanto? Miss Weaves? Hey there!”

“Scott,” Saylee said, looking up at the large man in the painfully bright shirt. “How did the Aqua raid go?”

“Arrested most of their members, but their admins got away,” Scott sighed in frustration. “Anyway, glad I spotted you. We just got a report that Team Magma have taken over the Mossdeep Space Centre. They’re holding it in a hostage situation, and the police have called for backup. There’s a speedboat full of rangers about to leave in ten minutes, since the police are taking up the teleporters; you in?”

“I’ll go,” Saylee sniffed, wiping her nose and setting Oberon down so she could stand up. “Well, guys?”

“We will bring them to justice!” Manami declared. Molly nodded in determination.

“We’ll avenge Teddy and Polly!” Zac declared. Leslie nipped him. “Winnie and William too!”

“We gonna give them a beatin’ they ain’t never gonna forget,” Sanborn said, sharpening his claws pointedly.

“We got this,” Oberon assured Saylee.

“Mossdeep doesn’t have any volcanoes,” Key said reassuringly, looking up. “Topaz? Can you go find Python? Skye, can you get Thomas and Shikoba?” The two immediately flew off in search of their teammates.

“Scott, can you go find the speedboat and ask them to hold until we get there?” Saylee asked.

“They’ll be glad to have you on board, I’m sure,” Scott said with a grin, heading off for the docks. “Go get ‘em, girls.”

{}

The speedboat skimmed across the azure waves so fast that it barely seemed to touch them. In the back, Saylee, Key and the rangers clung for dear life to the railing. Saylee winced at every jolt, the doctor’s warnings to take it easy ringing in her head, but she just couldn’t pass up the chance to go after Team Magma any more than she could stop breathing.

Doug and Claudia were on board and had excitedly introduced them to the four other rangers who were also taking the boat out. Apparently, Coral had been handed over to the police along with the Aqua members captured in the raid on their base. Claudia was driving. “I’m just gonna beach it under the cliffs, since they probably have eyes on the port,” she muttered, her words relayed over the noise of the waves and the engine by her Exploud. “Hopefully, they’ll be too distracted by the police coming in to notice us sneaking in the back. Jump out and go soon as we land, got it?”

“Got it!” they all shouted back. Key looked nervously at Saylee when Claudia mentioned beaching the boat. Saylee just tightened her arm against her side, steeling herself. She had insisted that they not tell anyone about her injuries, in case they made her stay behind.

“Do we know what it is they’re after?” Saylee yelled.

“Rocket fuel!” Doug shouted back. “The stuff that launches things into space hard enough to break orbit! Extremely powerful explosive!”

“We don’t know what they want it for, and I for one don’t wanna find out,” shouted a woman with curly white-blonde hair whose name Saylee hadn’t quite caught.

“Brace for impact!” Claudia’s Exploud shouted. “Three! Two! One!”

The boat slowed sharply as it hit the sand, shuddering and plowing forwards for a few feet before finally digging its nose in the sand. They all clung to the railing and each other so they didn’t get thrown around too much, but Saylee was still grinding her teeth around the pain in her side flaring up again. She wondered if she could pop some painkillers without anyone seeing them. She’d be a bit over the medically recommended limit, but she’d only ever heard of people dying from taking twenty or so times the recommended number of pills. One or two extra couldn’t do her much harm.

Key helped her jump out with everyone else as soon as the boat stilled. They were led by a ranger with pale-red hair and similarly-coloured skin, who apparently hailed from Mossdeep himself and knew the paths up and down the cliffs, one of which led right up to the perimeter of the Space Centre. They crept along the laser fence, twenty feet tall but still not tall enough to hide the gigantic ship sitting on the launch pad on the other side. Saylee stared at it in some trepidation. Kanto had once had a decent space program, and she’d seen photos of the old spacecrafts, but she’d never seen one up close, so she’d never really comprehended the sheer size of the ships. They had just gotten bigger and bigger over the centuries as they were outfitted to fly farther and go longer, but ultimately, until faster-than-light travel could be created, they’d probably never reach any of the other stars and planets distantly glimpsed through space telescopes. They’d spotted some stars with multiple planets orbiting around them, unlike their lonely planet with their sun all to itself.

 _This planet is all we have, and I am_ not _about to allow Marc or Archie to crack it in half_ , Saylee thought with determination, slipping two painkillers into her mouth and swallowing them dry.

“Well, look at that,” Claudia muttered, pointing through the transparent laser fence at the door from the Space Centre to the Launchpad. Two police officers were cuffing a pair of unconscious Magma grunts.

“Hey, what’s the deal?” the guy leading them shouted, prompting one of them to come over and start fidgeting with the fence controls to let them in. “Why call us out when the fun’s already over?”

“Still ongoing,” the police officer replied, shutting off a section of fence and pointing at the building. There were a good number of shattered windows, and the distant sounds of fighting. “We didn’t realize Mr Stone was in town. He went in with his Metagross. Thirty to one might be a bit steep even for him, though…”

“ _Steven_ Stone?” Saylee asked. The officer nodded.

“Are you kiddin’? It’d have to be a thousand to one for it even to be a fair fight against Steven Goddamn Stone!” Doug laughed.

“He lives around here,” the guy leading them explained. “He’s not actually home much, but I guess we got lucky.”

“Well, enough chitchat, let’s go back him up,” Saylee said, releasing Zac, Sanborn, Oberon and Molly. Key let out Thomas, Manami, Leslie and Python. Claudia led the way with her Exploud, Ninjask and Shedinja.

“Keep yourself under control or I’ll return you,” Key muttered to Python as they crossed the edge of the launchpad.

“Define ‘under control’,” Python growled back.

“Pretty sure she means don’t kill anybody,” Thomas said pointedly.

“Then what the hell am I supposed to do if I can’t attack any of ‘em?” Python complained.

“You don’t gotta kill ‘em,” Sanborn said. “You can just maim ‘em. Cripple ‘em for life, y’know? That ain’t killin’.”

“Just try not to hurt any of the hostages,” Saylee sighed.


	28. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 18   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 27   
> Deaths: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, is everyone enjoying ORAS? BECAUSE I’M NOT. Europe isn’t getting it until the 28th, even though everywhere else has it already T_T So I’m basically having to avoid tumblr and a few other areas of the internet for a week so I don’t get spoilers. I’ll probably end up contradicting quite a bit of this fic… but it’s based on Emerald, after all, not ORAS XP

The prep hall that the rangers walked into was a chaotic mess of broken equipment, passed-out Numel and unconscious Magma grunts. A blackened, melted hole in the wall where a door may have once been led down a corridor of offices and changing rooms with astro suits and helmets hanging from the walls. They followed the trail of melted-out doors and up a staircase, and then one last melted hole led to the control centre and true chaos.

The sign on the wall said “operations”; those Magma grunts who were already down looked like they were going to need one. More than fifteen were still up and kicking, though, and had formulated a strategy. They were hiding behind banks of expensive-looking computers, in some cases with hostage scientists, while a pack of Poochyena and Mightyena leapt and snapped at Bozider. The Metagross was floating about a foot above the pack with Steven on his back.

“Sanborn, Rock Smash! Zac, Thunderbolt! Oberon, Bullet Seed! Molly, Rollout! Get ‘em!” Saylee called, hoping they could hear her clearly through the cacophony of attack orders being issued from the other trainers. Thomas leapt up onto the ceiling and scurried across it to the other side of the room, occasionally dropping down to yank hostages out of the grip of their captors long enough for Claudia’s Ninjask and Shedinja to attack the Magma grunts. The circles of ‘yenas disintegrated into a howling mass of confusion as they were assaulted by more than a dozen Pokémon.

“Much appreciated!” Steven called down. Bozider waved.

“Anytime,” Saylee called back, leaning against one of the computer consoles. “Have you seen the leaders? Marc, Kalle… Courtney?”

“Marc and Kalle went to storage with the Director since he has the passcodes!” Steven replied, pointing to another former door at the far end of the room. The edges of the black burn were still glowing red.

“Sanborn! Molly! Zac! Oberon!” Saylee called, pointing to the hole. They started running towards it, but Oberon was intercepted by a snarling Mightyena.

“Oberon!” Saylee shouted, looking around for a Pokémon that was close enough to help her Gloom. Steven reached into his jacket pocket.

“Oberon!” he called down. “How do you feel about evolving?”

“Right now? It’s feelin’ like a pretty good idea!” Oberon called back as the Mightyena shrugged off a blast of acid and lunged at him. Oberon barely ducked under the snapping jaws. Steven threw something orange at Oberon, landing it right in the middle of his flower, where it glowed brilliantly.

The Mightyena was pushed back by the sharp surge of evolution energy. Oberon leapt elegantly onto its back as it stumbled and swore, reaching his stubby green hands out to touch the back of its neck.

“Get the hell off of me!” the Mightyena snarled, thrashing violently.

“Y’know, I’m feelin’ pretty worn out here, an’ you’re lookin’ pretty energetic,” Oberon said, the two flowers now on his head beginning to spin and glow. “I’m thinkin’ you an’ me could do a little business.” His whole Bellossom body glowed brilliant green as he sucked out the Mightyena’s energy.

“Well, ain’t you fabulous,” Thomas commented, dropping down next to Key as she and Saylee ran past the unconscious Mightyena, Oberon hurrying along at their heels.

“Damn right,” Oberon replied, spinning his flowers. “Now let’s go an’ get the sonnovaweed in charge here, whaddya say?”

They jumped carefully over the pools of molten metal on the floor. Steven returned Bozider and followed. “It’s like lava,” Key said nervously, looking at the glowing red metal.

“Marc’s Camerupt,” Saylee remembered. “It looked old and tough. I wouldn’t be surprised if it could use lava. I know it was holding back against me at Mt Chimney… probably worried about damaging the machine.” She walked as quickly as she could along the corridor, pulling her Pokédex out of her pocket and sending a quick message. Steven edged up to an intersection of corridors ahead of them and then quickly pulled back.

“There’s a Golbat, Mightyena and Baltoy keeping watch there,” he said, choosing a pokéball and releasing an Aggron. “Angelo, we’ll get that Baltoy.”

“Sanborn, go for the Mightyena,” Saylee whispered.

“Leslie, zap that Golbat,” Key hissed.

“It’s a narrow corridor, so everyone else hang back,” Steven ordered quietly. “Three… two… one… GO!”

Angelo charged down the corridor with Sanborn and Leslie running behind him so their marks didn’t see them until it was too late. They started grappling with and zapping their victims.

“As soon as there’s an opening, let’s go,” Steven ordered, watching. Saylee glanced from the battle to her Pokédex. It _beeped_ to announce a delivery just as they edged past the battle.

“What’s that?” Key asked as Saylee clicked her Pokédex open and withdrew a pokéball.

“Backup,” she muttered, clutching the pokéball close as they started moving down the hall again, following angry shouts.

“No! I’m not going to give you the codes!”

There was another melted-out door, and beyond it, a huge Camerupt was glaring down an angry-looking man with long black hair and a white labcoat over a suit. Marc stood on one side of the Camerupt, with his Crobat fluttering beside him, and Kalle at the other.

“Give us the codes to the door or we’ll melt it down,” Marc snarled.

“Might not be a good idea unless we want to blow ourselves up,” Kalle muttered.

“Do you realize what you’re interfering with here?!” the scientist raged angrily. “This rocket will go farther than any other! The images it brings back will be revolutionary! It could vastly expand our map of the known universe! I don’t know what you plan to do with it that’s so important, pal, but—”

“We’ll launch it into Mt Chimney,” Marc said, giggling in a distinctly unhinged way. “It’s been simmering for three thousand years. The explosion will be truly spectacular!”

“You’ll WHAT?” Key burst out angrily. “Python! Thomas! Manami! Let’s get ‘im!”

“Key, NO!” Saylee yelled, throwing out the pokéball that had just been delivered as Marc rounded on her. His face had gone an odd grey colour, and his eyes were bulging.

“Lava Plume!” he roared, pointing at them. His Camerupt gave him a sidelong look, but its back still rumbled and shot a searing hot blast of lava at them. It was blocked by Saylee’s Nadia, who had thankfully evolved like Professor Birch had promised she had.

“Marc, calm the fuck down!” Saylee heard Kalle yell. She patted the shoulder of a startled Key, did a quick headcount of their Pokémon to make sure everyone was okay, then stood up to pat the neck of her own Camerupt.

“Are you okay, Nadia?” she asked.

Nadia shrugged, sending some blobs of magma sliding out of her red fur and sizzling on the floor. “It’s nothing.”

“You!” Marc snarled furiously. “You interfering little—”

“Rock Slide ‘em!” Kalle ordered, releasing his own Camerupt before turning and putting his hands on Marc’s shoulders, talking quietly and angrily to him. The director pressed his back to the wall over the door control panel protectively. The two Camerupt charged down the corridor, firing rocks from their backs.

“Oberon, Bullet Seed!” Saylee ordered, ducking and clutching her side as she accidentally pulled it, causing agony to flare up her side. Oberon leapt onto Nadia’s back and sprayed a powerful stream of sees at the rocks, smashing some of them out of the air.

“Angelo!” Steven shouted as his Aggron came running up the hall, Leslie and Sanborn in tow. “Dragon Claw!” Nadia moved aside to allow Angelo past, smashing at the rocks and opposing Camerupt alike.

“Zac, Leslie, Surf!” Key shouted. The two Linoone darted past Angelo and blasted a wave of water at Kalle’s Camerupt. “Thomas, the Director!” Thomas darted across the ceiling and snatched up the man in the labcoat just as the water knocked down Marc, Kalle and his Camerupt.

“Kalle to all units: we’re pulling out!” Kalle sputtered, surfacing and returning both Camerupt. “Courtney, we need a pickup. We’re _so_ out of here. No, none of you move,” he snapped, releasing a large and angry Mightyena as Steven stepped towards them. “”If I tell you where Archie’s gone, will you let us go?”

“No,” Python snarled, prowling towards them, ending up nose-to-nose and snarling with Kalle’s Mightyena.

“Why would you do that?” Steven asked mildly.

“Because something’s really goddamn wrong with Marc, ever since he woke that damn thing up,” Kalle snapped, crouching down and slinging his unconscious husband’s arm over his shoulder. “We can’t stop Archie from waking Kyogre now. And I’m thinkin’ we really don’t want Groudon and Kyogre loose on each other.”

“Crazy’s got a point,” Thomas said. “Groudon’s lava killed Teddy. I don’t wanna know what both of them can do.”

“Theoretically, wipe out all life on the planet,” Steven said, narrowing his eyes on Kalle. “Not on purpose, of course. As collateral damage. Natural forces like that don’t tend to notice little things like individual life forms, I imagine.”

“I swear to the gods that was never the plan,” Kalle interjected.

“Kalle, can we go? I really think we should go,” Marc’s Crobat said. “Fourteen on four is not good.”

“Thankfully, I already know where Archie is going, so while your offer is kind, it’s unnecessary,” Steven said, nodding to Angelo. “Grab those two humans!”

Angelo charged forwards. Kalle’s Mightyena leapt into the way, biting down on Angelo’s tail and holding it back with astonishing strength. The Crobat created an air blast powerful enough to smash through the corridor wall. Kalle slung the unconscious Marc over his shoulder and ran through, reaching behind him to return his Mightyena as Python and Sanborn smashed into it.

Zac and Leslie darted through the hole, giving chase. Saylee followed just in time to see that there were offices on the other side with large viewing windows of the Launchpad, one of which Kalle leapt through. Saylee ran over to the window to see the Magma admin hanging onto Marc’s Crobat and being carried towards the cliff by the immensely strong Pokémon.

“Go after him, Bozider,” Steven ordered, returning his Aggron and releasing his hulking Metagross out of the window.

“Steven, please tell me you weren’t just bluffing and that you do genuinely know where Kyogre is,” Saylee said suspiciously.

“Of course,” Steven said with a nod. “Come over to my house. I have maps there to show you.”

“Should we tell those other rangers?” Sanborn asked. Steven shook his head.

“Almost nobody believes that these seismic disturbances are being caused by Groudon moving around deep underground, even when I tell them,” Steven said. “Convincing them will take time we don’t have to spare. I’ll try, of course, but I’d feel better if you were on your way first.”

{}

“Marc seemed completely different, didn’t he?” Key said quietly as they followed Steven down the road, pointedly ignoring Mossdeep citizens asking what was going on. Steven was reassuring a few people that everything was alright, but mostly he was insistently pushing his way towards the cliffside houses.

“He _smelled_ different,” Zac said. Leslie twitched her nose. “Like sulphur, yeah.”

“Groudon’s affecting him,” Saylee muttered.

“ _In_ fecting him might be more apt,” Steven said, opening a gate and leading them down a path between two hedges. The path wound through a pretty, if unkempt, little garden towards a very cute seaside cottage. The door _beeped_ when he gripped the handle, verifying his palmprint and unlocking the house.

The cottage was full of rocks. Display cases full of various stones and gems crammed the hall. Saylee and Key returned their larger Pokémon before following Steven inside, edging around the cases and stepping over cast aside shoes to follow Steven into a cozy little living room. It was also filled with rocks and stones. The pictures on the walls were mostly giffies; one of the larger ones had Steven’s father and presumably his mother waving out at them, and in another a surprisingly long-haired teenaged Steven laughed uproariously, arm-in-arm with a girl with short, spiky blonde hair and a gangly boy with scruffy black hair that shadowed his eyes. He was holding a little black-and-blue Pokémon, the girl a Togetic, and Steven a Beldum.

“Please, have a seat,” Steven said, gesturing to a couple of plush cream sofas. Saylee, Key and Thomas sat down on one while Zac, Leslie, Sanborn, Molly and Manami hopped up onto the other. “I’ll be brief. The fact that Archie stole the new submarine means that Kyogre can only be in one place: under Sootopolis City.”

“You’re certain?” Saylee asked. Steven nodded.

“There’s a vast labyrinth of underwater tunnels beneath Sootopolis, but they’re mostly unexplored due to how deep they go,” Steven explained, walking around the room and trailing his fingers over some rock ores. “Now, there are many such places in the ocean, but in recent years oceanographers have become able to talk to Pokémon who can swim that deep, and—” there was a huge _crash_ that made them all jump. Saylee yelped and then clutched one of the soft pillows to her aching side.

“The hell was _that_?” Thomas demanded.

“The ocean’s awfully close, isn’t it?” Manami said, cocking an ear. Molly nodded in agreement.

“A wave hit the back of the house,” Steven said quietly, looking in that direction. “The tremors caused by Groudon are agitating the tides. Tidal waves could build up. I’ll need to contact Wallace and get him to sound a coastal evacuation warning, if he hasn’t already… but where to send people to that isn’t close to Mt Chimney, that’s the trick. While I organize that,” he said, looking back at Saylee and Key, “you need to go to Sootopolis City. Talk to Juan, the gym leader. He’ll be able to help you find and stop Archie. His water Pokémon are very powerful, and capable of diving quite deep.”

“What were you sayin’ ‘bout water types before?” Oberon asked, glancing up at a display of elemental stones. “You sayin’ they’ve _seen_ Kyogre?”

“Actually, they adamantly refuse to go into detail about the chambers at the bottom of the tunnels, which itself is very telling,” Steven chuckled. “In other parts of the ocean, they don’t mind talking about their homes, but under Sootopolis they’re curiously reticent. Can I see your Pokénavs, please?”

“I have a gear,” Saylee said, handing it over.

“They’re easier to upgrade than navs, I must admit, but I am obligated as a Stone to tell you that navs are better and you should buy one,” Steven said with a smile and a nod towards his parents’ portrait. He pulled up the map display on Key’s Pokénav and then expanded it to a projected holodisplay and started to mark a route on it. “You’re flying, yes? This should be the quickest route.” He handed Key’s Pokénav back to her and repeated the process with Saylee’s Pokégear. “I’ll join you as soon as I can. Good luck.”

“Sounds like we’re gonna need it,” Zac muttered. Leslie licked him on the check encouragingly.


	29. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee  
> Pokémon: 18  
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key  
> Pokémon: 27  
> Deaths: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last two scenes in this chapter were written by the fabulous Key-chan! Key, Key’s Pokémon, and our iteration of Archie and Team Aqua/Magma are more her characters than mine :)
> 
> Also, congrats to everyone who’s completed NaNoWriMo this year! \o/
> 
> I FINALLY HAVE OMEGA RUBY! And it’s weird to remember to think of the leader of Team Magma as Maxie instead of Marc XDXDXD I’m progressing very slowly a) because of the amount of time it took me to find a Ralts and b) because I’m spending ages staring at all of the prettiness *_* EVERYTHING LOOKS SO NICE. ROXANNE’S GYM LOOKS SO NICE. DEVON CORP LOOKS SO NICE. PETALBURG LOOKS SO NICE. THE CONTESTS LOOK SO NICE. EVERYTHING IS SO PRETTY. Also I will openly confess to currently having my 3ds sitting open next to me while I work alternately on my dissertation and this fic, with my character just standing in the Oceanic Museum so I can listen to the music. I know this tune originates from Gen I and it’s nostalgic as hell and it’s been made SO PRETTY *_*

“Y’all set, darlin’?” Skye asked.

Saylee wrapped her arms around Oberon. “Feel secure?” she asked.

He nodded, spinning his flowers contentedly. “Anythin’ that comes out the ocean at us is gettin’ a good look at my Bullet Seed,” he promised.

“Okay, then,” Saylee said, glancing over at Key. “We’re good to go.”

“Us too,” Key said, checking the flight straps on her harness nervously. “Are you okay, Shikoba? Is the harness uncomfortable?”

“Don’t worry, I’m absolutely fine,” Shikoba said, preening. Topaz, being half-ground, wasn’t comfortable flying over as vast an expanse of water as the ocean, but Shikoba was now big enough to carry Key on his back and was extremely proud. “So, my little cotton bud, up for a race?” he said, flicking his crest feathers at Skye.

“If I win, you gotta stop callin’ me that, deal?” Skye said, fluffing her admittedly cottony feathers in indignation.

“And what do I get if _I_ win?” Shikoba said suggestively.

“Ain’t we got an end-of-the-world to be avertin’?” Oberon wanted to know.

“Flirt as you fly, you two. We need to get to Sootopolis a-sap,” Saylee said, feeling the soft but strong embrace of Skye’s feathers wrapping around her, the cottony texture soothing against the recurring aches in her side. Skye and Shikoba spread their wings and took off, zooming away at top speed with Oberon and Shikoba shouting competitively at each other until Skye threatened to smother both of them. They quickly left Mossdeep behind and were soon out over the open ocean.

Huge waves were crashing against Mossdeep, but the waves grew smaller the farther out they got. While the water wasn’t high, it still frothed and crashed wildly, constantly disturbed by the underground tremors. _Where is Groudon digging to?_ Saylee wondered as she held Oberon out for him to get a better angle on a leaping Wailmer. _Is she digging towards Kyogre, or something else…?_

Her Pokégear buzzed in her pocket. Seeing no wild Pokémon for the time being, she tucked Oberon into her lap and pressed her Pokégear tightly to her ear, covering her other ear against the rush of wind and Shikoba and Oberon heckling each other. “Hello?” she called into it.

“ _Saylee? What’s that noise_? _You’d better not be in another volcano…_ ”

“Don’t worry, it’s wind and a competitive Bellossom,” Saylee called into the mic. “Oberon, can you keep it down for a few minutes? Shikoba’s losing anyway. Blue, what’s going on?”

“ _Okay, one, the Green Orb doesn’t teleport but it_ is _on its way to Hoenn now, I promise. A student of Professor Hawkshaw’s is flying it to Mt Pyre herself. Flying nonstop should take her about twelve hours. Two, the Porygon-2 got the virus and drove it out. They think it’s a corrupted version of a Porygon program, but they couldn’t catch it so they don’t know for sure what it is or who made it. But whoever it was definitely didn’t want you or any other powerful trainer moving your Pokémon around.”_

“It could be Magma or Aqua…” Saylee said thoughtfully. “More likely Magma. The Aqua boss didn’t know who I was until the second or third time we met. Come to think of it, the teleporter in the port I landed in was down, too.”

“ _It’s all pretty passive-aggressive though, isn’t it? I mean, if they could do this, they could’ve put a virus in the system that would delete your Pokémon mid-port instead of just blocking them. Could’ve crashed the ship or the truck or, hell, could’ve crashed the power while you were in the teleporter, that would’ve killed you. They could’ve—”_

“Have I ever told you how glad I am you’re not a supervillain?” Saylee asked. “Or am I just lucky you love me?”

“ _I couldn’t do institutionalized crime, I don’t like Golbat enough. Anyway, point is, whoever was trying to stop you wasn’t very…_ serious _about it, although that said they might not want to have made it that obvious that they were trying to stop_ you _. Other people’ve been hit by the Pokémon-transporting virus, too, if not all the travel troubles that got you. Clearly, the world fears my wrath._ ”

“Aqua, at least, seem to genuinely think they’re making the world a better place,” Saylee mused, “and whatever Magma’s goal is, it isn’t planetary destruction. But if you believe Aqua over Marc, they’re not above murder… but accidentally or on purpose, planetary destruction is where they’re headed, and they’ve killed my Pokémon to do it, which means their good intentions can go to hell, because I’m taking them _down_.”

“ _I’m sending through Toby, Mary, Eric and Perun as soon as I can, and Charlotte wants to come too—y’know, from Chaz’s first clutch, the first one to evolve into a Charizard? She—_ ”

“Lee, darlin’?” Skye shouted. “What in the hell is _that_?”

“Hold on a moment, Blue,” Saylee said, peering down over Skye’s side. A speedboat was nervously skirting the distant edge of a large whirlpool that had formed in the middle of nowhere. Saylee was unpleasantly reminded of the whirlpools around the Whirl Islands, although this one was smaller. “Sorry, Blue, I’d better go. There’s a pretty small trawler foundering in the water down there, and I think we’d better go see if they need help…”

“ _Good luck and try not to die,_ ” Blue said as Saylee hung up.

“That’s a trash trawler,” Key shouted. “They’re for cleaning coasts, not going out on the open sea. What’s it _doing_ out here?”

The boat was tiny, and Shikoba and Skye landing on it was enough to make it rock distinctly. Saylee and Key encouraged them to sit on opposite sides of the boat to balance it a little before they and Oberon tentatively got off. The woman who came out of the little wheelhouse to yell at them was noticeably not a trawler, however.

“Oh, shit,” Shelly groaned. “ _You_. Y’know, thanks to your ranger buddies busting the HQ, I missed my rendezvous with the sub and I had to steal _this_ piece of crap to try and get to the secondary rendezvous point. These waves are way too dangerous even for a Sharpedo to just swim.”

“What do we do with her?” Key asked Saylee, circling Shelly. Shelly’s hand twitched towards her pokéballs.

“Don’t worry, Shelly, we won’t stop you making this rendezvous,” Saylee said sweetly, returning Skye but keeping hold of Oberon. Key returned Shikoba in a gesture of solidarity and not tipping the boat over. “In fact, we’re going with you.”

“Like hell I’m going to take you to Archie,” Shelly snapped. “You’ll just interfere again. No _way_.” She backed up against the door to the wheelhouse.

“Shelly, do you recognize this?” Saylee said, setting Oberon down and kneeling to rummage in her bag for the Master Ball. Shelly went white when she saw it, before flushing red with rage.

“What—how—where the hell did you get that?!” she sputtered.

“Isn’t it more important that Archie _doesn’t_ have it right now?” Key pointed out.

“He can’t control Kyogre with the Red Orb any more than Marc could control Groudon with the Blue,” Saylee said, starting to stand up and then thinking better of it—it would be hard enough to get back to her feet on the rocking boat without her side hurting every time she twisted or moved it even a little. “It’ll just drive him insane, the way Groudon is driving Marc insane. Seriously, whatever you estimate his sanity level to have been at Mt Chimney, it’s taken a noticeable nosedive since.” Shelly stared at the Master Ball, visibly conflicted.

“Shelly, right?” Oberon piped up. “Hey, you Coral’s sister?”

“You know my sister?” Shelly said suspiciously. “Are you the bitches who arrested her?”

“No, no, they weren’t around ‘til Coral was already in the slammer,” Oberon insisted. “She was tryin’ ta poach around where I live, see, that’s how I know ‘er. If you knew she was in the clink, why didn’t you try ta bust ‘er out, huh?”

“…she’d want to come with me, and she’s safer there for now,” Shelly said, crossing her arms and looking away.

“If Groudon and Kyogre start battling it out, out of control, nowhere will be safe,” Saylee said quietly. Shelly chewed her lip, then unclipped her communicator from her belt.

The boat suddenly lurched violently, flinging them all across the deck. Saylee outright screamed in pain as she was slammed into the side of the boat. Shelly shrieked as she went tumbling, her communicator skittering across the deck. It landed next to Key, who grabbed it before it could be carried away by the waves that started crashing over the boat.

“Who’s been driving the boat?!” Key yelled frantically.

“Nobody, obviously!” Shelly yelled angrily, trying to scramble over the deck towards the wheelhouse. Saylee looked over the edge of the boat to see that they’d been pulled into the whirlpool.

“Oberon? OBERON?!” she shouted frantically, looking around.

“Lee! LEE! HELP!”

Saylee looked over the edge again and scrambled desperately for Oberon’s pokéball as she spotted him struggling against the water. The grass-type was naturally buoyant, but that wouldn’t do him much good in the whirlpool.

“Watch what you’re doing, you stupid bitch!” Shelly yelled as Saylee leaned over the edge, reaching out to try and return Oberon. She got him just before the boat hit the main swirl of the whirlpool, causing it to tip sharply. Saylee screamed as the edge of the boat vanished from beneath her, tipping her into the warm, thrashing water.

“Hey! SHIT!” she heard Shelly shout. Then the older woman grabbed her. “SHAKIRA!” Saylee tried to yelp in pain as she was pulled against the rough skin of a Sharpedo, but her throat filled with water when she opened her mouth.

“Shel, I can’t get out the whirlpool!” Saylee heard the Sharpedo yell frantically as they surfaced. “It’s just gettin’ stronger—”

“Just hang in and try to get to the damn boat, Shakira!” Shelley shouted.

“What boat?” Shakira shouted back.

Saylee pulled herself up, feeling the skin of her hands and arms tear as she pulled herself over the Sharpedo’s back, looking frantically for the boat, but it was nowhere to be seen.

“Key!” she screamed. “KEY!”

“Hang on!” Shakira bellowed as a wave loomed over them, crashing down on them and forcing them into the whirlpool.

{}

The four teammates fell silent as Archie's communicator rang. The Aqua boss sighed and tossed it over his shoulder for one of his crew to catch.

"It'll be Shelly,” he said, not looking up the from the sonar display. “Tell her we're right outside the cave entrance and will be inside within two minutes."

"Yessir."

Archie tried to tune out the conversation. Steering the submarine wasn't all that hard, but being so close to the cave he didn't want any distractions.

The voice that came from the comm definitely qualified as a distraction.

" _A-Archie?_ " came the distorted voice, followed by hiccoughing sobs.

"...Shelly?"

That wasn't Shelly.

"David, give it to me!" Archie ordered, stretching one hand out behind him. Steering the sub with one hand would be harder, but not impossible. The cave entrance was in visual range and didn’t look particularly small, so he would probably manage to still get through just fine, though he still feared he might be focusing on the comm more than on the sub now. He stood up and relinquished the steering to Bryan as he received the comm.

"Key!” he said urgently. “What the hell is going on? Why do _you_ have Shelly’s comm?"

" _A-Archie?_ " she asked again, sobbing hysterically. " _Archie... p-please... the c-currents... Shelly… Saylee… they…_ "

 _Currents?_ _What happened to Shelly?_ "Key. Calm down. Tell me what happened."

" _W-We met Sh-Shelly..._ " the girl hiccoughed. “ _There was f-fighting... S-Saylee f-fell... s-something kn-knocked me o-out, and—_ "

"Key, where are you now?" Archie asked, trying to keep his voice as even as possible.

" _N-near P-Pacif-f-fidlog, I th-think?_ "

"Oh for the love of Kyogre..." Archie cursed under his breath. _If they got into those currents… where the hell is Key? Where the hell is Shelly?_ The waters between Pacifidlog and Slateport were famous for being dangerously strong. Surfing on them was feasible, as the rocks were visible and thus avoidable, but underwater...

Archie let out another growl and paced back and forth along the sub control room. Everyone glanced nervously at his sudden frustration, even Bryan, before Emery smacked him on the arm and muttered to him to pay attention to the underwater caves that they were now in.

"Alright—Key, listen to me. Right now, I'm at the south of Mossdeep and a little east to Sootopolis. I want you to stay exactly where you are for one hour, and you are not to move from there until then unless I say otherwise, got it?"

" _G-Got it..._ "

"Good. You'll hear from me by the time the hour is up. I promise."

Archie shut the comm and dropped it in Emery's hand with a sigh, removing his headscarf with one hand and running the other through his hair, slumping against the sub's wall. He muttered a couple more swears under his breath, but they were more sad than angry.

"Right..." Archie breathed, straightening again under the patient stares of his mates. "Right. So, here's the plan: as soon as we get to the surface, Bryan and David will start exploring and leave markings so we can get around easier without getting lost. We still don't know exactly where Kyogre is, but it’s definitely down here somewhere. Emery, you are to stay by the entrance and stand guard. I'll be taking the sub and heading for Pacifidlog—most of our Wailmer know Dive, so you'll manage without me, even if the sub would've helped move things faster. Matt, I'm leaving you in charge of things until I get back."

"...Seriously, man?” Matt muttered. “C’mon, we’ve come way too far for you to mess around with that girl now!”

“Matt, the call could've been from that Saylee womanand I would've still gone!” Archie snapped. “She said something happened to Shelly, too, and I need to find out what! Two lives are on the line, and Kyogre forbid I ever let _anyone_ die without at the very least trying to do something to prevent it.”

The sub stopped, floating idly under the surface. Bryan stood and moved to the back of the sub, returning the seat to Archie, who started flipping a few switches. A hatch opened in the middle, filled with water. It was just big enough for two people to lay in at the same time. Both Bryan and Damon dropped themselves in the water. Damon gave Archie the thumbs up, and then he and Bryan dived their heads under the water as well, right before Archie flipped the switch again, closing the hatch, and flipped a different switch a few seconds after. It didn't take long for Archie to see Bryan and Damon pass by the cockpit and swim towards the surface. The Aqua boss flipped the switches again, and waited for Emery and Matt to settle in the water as well.

"Archie..." Matt started. "Why are you stopping in Pacifidlog to pick that Key person up? Wouldn't it just waste time that you could be spending looking for Shelly?"

Archie sighed. "You heard it too, didn't you?" he asked quietly. "She's near breaking point. She needs _someone_ , and it sounds like her friend’s missing too. I can't leave her like this. Besides, she should be able to help me at least start looking for Shelly."

"I guess so," Mutt muttered. Archie kneeled down and gently drove his fist into Matt’s arm.

"I'll bring her back alive. I promise."

Matt nodded, bumping their fists together.

Matt and Emery dived, and the hatch closed. Archie waited to see them Matt swim past the cockpit and towards the surface and watched their bodies vanish as they emerged and reached land.

The sub was now filled with utter silence. Archie gazed at the surface, his eyes dropping slowly to the rest of the water-filled hole. Nothing was disturbing the peace of underwater life. So calm... So quiet. He wished people could see the beauty of it. Understand it. Understand _him_.

He picked two of the Pokéballs off his belt and released his Mightyena and Crobat. Magellan shook his body a little, while Coby did a few circles to stretch his wings.

"Hey Archie, where's all the other guys?" Magellan asked, sniffing around. "Are we there yet?"

"Yeah, we are," Archie replied, tying his headscarf around his hair again. "But we're not going into the cave."

"We're not?" Coby repeated, surprised. "Where did _you_ slam your head? I thought you'd be the first to have jumped off this stupid sub-whatever-thing."

Archie sat down and swivelled his seat towards the command board again, pressing buttons. "Key called. Shelly's in danger. We're going to help."

"I don't really care about the other girl," Magellan snorted, "but if Shelly is in trouble...we better hurry."

{}

"Thirty-two minutes..." Key muttered, staring at her Pokénav. The little communication device she had used to call Archie was lying next to her, not making a sound. She must have managed to cling to it after she fell out of the boat—it had still been in her hand when she regained consciousness, even when her bag and pokéballs had vanished.

Key was facing the deadly currents that led to Slateport. She had one arm around her legs, her chin on her knees. The other hand was holding the Pokénav, as if it would ring any moment, even though she knew very well that Archie would use the communication device she'd contacted him with instead. It wasn’t as if he had her number, after all, and even if he did, it must have been damaged under the water because while she could turn it on, it wouldn’t make any calls.

All she could do was sit alone on the bare rock, surrounding by deceptively calm water hiding deadly riptides, staring at the clock on her Pokénav.

"Thirty-one minutes..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saylee  
> Name: Gaius. Species: Golbat. Nature: Hardy. Ability: Inner Focus. Location: Seafloor Cavern.  
> Name: Chrom. Species: Clamperl. Nature: Relaxed. Ability: Shell Armor. Location: Underwater.
> 
> Key  
> Name: Whitney. Species: Wailmer. Nature: Bold. Ability: Oblivious. Location: Mossdeep City.  
> Name: Coral. Species: Clamperl. Nature: Bashful. Ability: Shell Armor. Location: Underwater.


	30. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 20   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole chapter was written by the fabulous Key-chan and edited by me :)

Saylee blinked her eyes open. It was hardly pitch-black, but her head was spinning too badly to see anything but a faint glow of blue light off of something dark. _Where am I? What happened?_

She slowly sat up and kept her head propped up with her hand. _No glasses… that’s why I can’t see a damn thing_. She groped in her bag until she found a pocket with a spare pair inside, damp but perfectly functional. She stared at the badges on her bag strap as her eyes adjusted to the extremely faint blue light. _That’s right, I was… fighting with Shelly... I fell into the water... and then...?_

"Oh, you're awake."

Saylee looked up as the blue light increased, making sure she didn't do it too fast in order to not make her head hurt any more than it already did. Her sides were killing her as well, prompting her to peel up her shirt and breathe a sigh of relief that the doctor hadn’t been kidding about how waterproof the bandages were. There were some spots of fresh blood visible, but not enough to worry her, so she turned her attention back to the person approaching her.

"...Shelly?" she said in surprise.

"We got dragged off by the underwater currents," Shelly explained grumpily. "We're in some kind of weird underwater cave right now. I looked around a bit, but I didn't really get to explore since I had to watch over you. Didn't want to you to do anything stupid like walking off while I wasn't looking or something."

"What about Key?" Saylee asked, realizing that she couldn’t see her friend anywhere

Shelly held up a broken belt that Saylee recognized as Key’s, with all six pokéballs attached. "I couldn’t grab her properly," Shelly admitted with a scowl. "I can handle saving one stupid girl, but not two. If you two hadn’t distracted me, I’d have made it past that whirlpool just fine. Why do you always have to interfere?"

"So I’m supposed to let idiots like you just run off and destroy the world?" Saylee muttered darkly, standing up and wringing what little water was left in her clothes—she must've been out for a while if they were already half-dry. "Thanks for saving me, I guess. Or whatever it was you were doing."

"Got any water-type Pokémon with you that can bring you out of the cave?" Shelly asked. "...Hey, where are you going? The water’s _that_ way."

"I only just woke up, so why don't you let my head clear a bit before making me battle with those life-threatening ocean currents you mentioned before?" Saylee asked, switching on her Pokégear light and scanning it down the tunnel. _If only I had Polly’s nose, or Carrie’s night vision.._.

"Fine, whatever," Shelly huffed. "It's not like I'm in any hurry."

"Are you waiting for me?" Saylee asked as the older woman stormed after her.

"I didn't save your ass just so you could go and pointlessly die right after," Shelly snorted. "So, if it makes you happy, then yeah I'm waiting for you to 'clear your head'. Now can we focus on finding a way out of here?”

“Are you proposing a truce until then?” Saylee asked, glancing at the redhead and getting a fierce glare in response.

“Both spelunking and ocean swimming are suicidally stupid things to do alone,” Shelly pointed out, “so yeah, until we’re out of here, I’m willing to team up. But once we’re out, I won’t hesitate to take you down if you try getting in Archie’s way again.”

{}

"Two minutes..." Key muttered, staring at her Pokénav. Archie’s comm hadn’t moved or made a sound the whole time.

"One minute..." Key breathed, tears welling up. Her body was starting to shake again. She tightened her grip around her legs and continued to stare at the Pokénav.

 _He said he would call back. He said it. He promised. There are still a few seconds left, just trust him, he_ promised _—_

Key jumped as the comm suddenly beeped loudly. She dropped the Pokénav beside her and scrambled to pick the comm up, pressing all buttons until one of them picked up.

“Archie?”

“ _Sorry I took so long_ ,” Archie apologized, “ _but there’s not much that can be done from that cave when you’re in it. Anyway, hour is done, you can stand up now._ ”

“So you’re still in that c-cave?” Key stuttered slightly, wiping tears away and standing up as told.

“ _Look behind you._ ”

Key spun around so quickly her neck could’ve snapped. She watched wide-eyed as Archie pocketed his device while slowly walking towards her. She didn’t wait for him to arrive.

She ran and threw herself into his arms.

{}

"I've never seen markings like these before,” Shelly said with a scowl, shining her flashlight over the pattern of dots covering the tunnel wall. “Is this a language? I couldn't read this stuff to save my life."

"It’s a lot like braille," Saylee replied, running her fingers over the patterns. "It's a written language used by blind people so they can read, but these look _ancient_ , and I think some of the dot patterns are different. Did humans even exist when these were engraved?"

"You've seen stuff like this before?" Shelly asked in surprise.

"Only in a book, once,” Saylee lied, deciding instantly not to talk about the caves in the Sevii Islands to Shelly. She also decided not to mention that she could, in fact, read the patterns on the wall; it described a giant making warriors out of ice, then stone, then steel, to protect, although what they were protecting was unclear.

Shelly turned her torch off suddenly. “Ssh!” she whispered, pointing down the tunnel. Saylee turned off her light as well, and after a moment of darkness another light ahead of them was visible. It wasn't the right colour for sunlight, so it wasn't an exit. It was artificial. _Someone else is in the cave_.

They walked quietly towards the source. They could hear talking as they advanced and inched closer to the stone wall.

"... _but we sealed the Pokémon away. We feared it. Those with courage, those with hope. Open a door..."_

"What kind of weird chant is that?" Shelly whispered. Saylee glued her back as close as she physically could to the rocky wall before taking a dare and peeking around the corner.

Standing in front of a wall covered with more braille was a well-dressed man with silvery hair.

Very _familiar_ silvery hair.

"Holy..." she hissed quietly "...is that _Steven?_ "

{}

"I'm sorry..."

Archie shot a quick glance behind him. Key was staring at the floor. She wasn't crying anymore, but her eyes were still horribly red and puffy, and she was still wearing one of the most depressed and terrified expressions he’d ever seen on someone’s face. It made him a little uncomfortable.

"What for?" he asked, facing forward again, focusing on steering the submarine downwards.

"Freaking out on you like that,” Key clarified. “Of course Saylee and I have been trying to do anything to stop you from getting closer to Kyogre—" Archie's lips twitched a bit "—but I didn't think we'd be doing it like this. I... never thought... you'd see me like this. Before, I’ve only told Saylee… I'm not as emotionally strong as I may look," she continued before Archie could reply. "I only act happy because I want everyone around me to be happy—and for the most part, I _am_ happy. But the instant I'm alone... I just become weak and useless. I've never been able to do anything for myself. It's a flaw I wish I could fix. I want to be strong, like everyone else I know. I just... feel so _worthless_..."

"To counter what you just said, I'd actually like to thank you," Archie interrupted.

"Huh?" Key sniffed, looking confused.

"Well, how do I say this..." he wondered, still trying to half-focus on steering the submarine. “I don't think it's a bad thing to need others. Humans have never been able to achieve anything on their own, and can only really do things if they work at it together. I'd have never managed to get this far without my team, and I don't think I could ever find a way to properly repay them for everything they've helped me achieve. Shelly, Matt and Coral especially have been supporting me since long before I even took up Team Aqua, so if I can do anything to help them, I'll do it. So, I'm grateful you called me and gave me that chance to somehow repay Shelly, for starters... and I'd also like to thank you for—well..." Archie felt his face heat up slightly. He tried very hard _not_ to look at Key. "I'd... like to thank you for relying on me. Of all the people you could've asked for help on your Pokénav, you instead chose to use Shelly's communicator and called me. You and Saylee have been spending so much time running after Team Aqua, after me, trying to whip our asses, and yet you decided to call _me_. It... means a lot to me, in an odd way, that you’re willing to trust me like that, despite the fact that we don’t see eye to eye. After everything, _especially_ after how you argued with me at Mt Pyre, I didn’t figure you’d ever understand or trust me enough to call on me for help. But it means you trust me, to an extent, and... for that, I’d like to thank you.”

Archie could feel his face flush a little more as the silence dragged out.

Key started to giggle.

“W-Was it something I said?” Archie asked nervously.

“I know you’re trying to not look at me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see your face from where I’m sitting,” Key remarked. “I didn’t know you were the blushy type. It’s kinda cute.”

“That’s…” Archie started, his face feeling like it was gathering more heat than necessary.

Key suddenly burst out laughing.

“That’s _not_ funny!” Archie shot at her as he released the controls and spun on his chair to face her, only causing Key to laugh even harder. “Do you have _any_ idea how hard it is for a guy like me to confess something like that?!”

Archie glared at the blonde teen currently doubled over on the floor from laughter for a few seconds, before his glare eventually turned into a scowl instead.

“Well at least laughing suits you better than being upset,” he mumbled, turning back to steering the sub. “Definitely an improvement on being quiet and clingy.”

For having laughed so hard, Key was extremely quick to stop. “What do you mean, an improvement?” she asked. “The only times we’ve seen each other, we’ve been fighting and I’ve been with Saylee. No way you’ve seen me getting upset unless—you haven’t been _stalking_ us, have you?”

Archie ignored the question in favour of blinking and slowing the engine down.

“Key, come here, we’re almost at the currents,” he announced in a more serious tone. “You’ll need to keep a lookout while I steer the sub, ‘cause this route won’t be as much of a piece of cake as the rest of the ocean.”

Key watched him as she got up and stood behind Archie, but he didn’t show any sign of looking up at her or answering the question. She gripped the seat and steadied her legs to make sure she didn’t fall over in case the sub made some particularly big turns, and prepared to focus entirely on finding signs of Saylee and Shelly.

{}

" _Steven_?" Shelly whispered. "You mean _Steven Stone_?"

"Yes, _that_ Steven," Saylee whispered back.

"Wait, you're friends with a sexy beast like that and you never _told_ me?" Shelly mouthed.

"I have my own sexy beast waiting for me back in Kanto," Saylee hissed, shoving Shelly behind the wall to hide, "and this one looks like he's up to something. Well, aren't _we_ happy you decided to explore this place?"

"Saylee,” Shelly whispered, staring at Saylee like she was insane, “do you really think that, of all people, _Steven Stone_ would be up to something shifty?"

"Former Hoenn Champion, alone in a dark cave someplace in the middle of nowhere, muttering some weird chants to ominous writings on a wall," Saylee listed, "or reading them out loud, which makes it even weirder. And he was still in Mossdeep when Key and I set out, claiming that he was going to go organize coastal evacuations, but now here he is in a cave that we only wound up in because of a whirlpool. And all that doesn't sound the slightest bit strange to you?"

"I'm the vice-leader of a supposedly criminal organisation that's trying to revive a legendary Pokémon sleeping in an underwater cave,” Shelly pointed out, “so I'm not exactly the best at determining what _your_ level of 'strange' is."

"Wait, so you're admitting that your ideals may not be as sane as your leader thinks?" Saylee said, crossing her arms.

"Listen,you don't know shit about Archie,” Shelly snapped, “so you wouldn't understand what he's trying to do even if we explained it to you."

"Well, you never _did_ try to explain it to us, so no wonder we're running around trying to whip you all—"

Saylee suddenly heard a very loud humming noise behind her and spun around to look, only to meet the glare of a very menacing-looking steel-body Pokémon. She immediately recognized the unusually large Metagross.

"Bozider, did you find some unexpected guests?" said a familiar voice. Saylee raised an arm and gently pushed Shelly for her to step back. It only took a few seconds for the footsteps to reach them, and for Steven to appear from around the corner of the wall.

Steven’s brown eyes blinked in genuine surprise. “…Saylee? Is that you?”

{}

"What the...?" Archie breathed, staring out at the water. During the whole time they'd flowed through the currents, the engine had been practically shut off. The sub was now to as close to a halt as it could be.

"Are we out of the currents?" Key asked as she leaned over Archie's head a little, trying to look around.

"That's weird..." he muttered, frowning, moving his chair over to more closely examine the map display in the middle of the control panel. It was covered in moving, intersecting lines. Key couldn’t make head or tails of it, but she imagined that it was showing the sea bed and underwater currents. “I know for a fact that the currents end _here_ ," he pointed at an area of the map, somewhere to the west of what the blinking icon indicating the sub. "If the currents end there, and we're not at the end yet, then why did we stop...?"

"Can you think of anything that would cause the currents to go around something?" Key asked.

Archie shook his head. "No. If it had been recent, then it would've probably been caused by something that would've disrupted the ocean currents, which in turn would've caused a very dramatic climate change..." he sighed. "So if there's really something here that wasn't at first, whatever this 'gap' in the currents has been caused by has been here for _centuries_."

Archie stood up, and looked out the glass. He frowned again.

"This doesn't look like a very easy-to-find space..." he remarked. “See? Over there," he pointed at some part of the water. "If you look closely you can see the currents moving. They're not all that far, if I turned the engine on we'd easily get dragged off towards Slateport within a little less than a minute. Same on the other side, and in front. I doubt the space of calm water behind us is that much larger, either."

"I can't tell if it's my glasses or if my eyes suck or if your eyesight is just that damn good, but I can't see anything," Key sighed.

"...Do you mind if we go down?" Archie asked quietly. "There's only a one-in-a-thousand chance that Shelly and Saylee are down there somewhere, but they could be, and I'm pretty sure that once we leave this 'space' we won't be able to return here without trying hundreds of times. There's the curiosity of knowing why there's such an odd hole in the ocean currents too, but... I'd rather leave than explore this place, if it means I can save Shelly."

"I... can't say," Key muttered sadly. "What if they _are_ down there? What if that one-in-a-thousand chance had occurred, and they are both alive and waiting for us? There's no way of knowing what the right choice is... it's already been nearly an hour and a half since they got swept away..."

"Then let's go," Archie decided. "If we don't find them here, then at least we won't have to try and come back to look."

Key nodded. Archie pulled another few levers, and the sub slowly started to descend into the depths.


	31. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 20   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first half of this chapter was written by the fabulous Key-chan and edited by me :)
> 
> I’m getting through Omega Ruby very slowly… I only just got to Wallace ^_^; Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre are definitely epic-looking monsters… I’m really enjoying these remakes. So many of the new design and character additions are really good (Brendan, IMO, has gone from “really somewhat pointless rival with no character arc” to “oh my god you precious little darling let me hug you”, and Wally is SUCH A PRECIOUS BABBY <3 Also… Steven. STEVEN. NNK) and Hoenn looks fabulous… especially from above. The Eon Flute is officially now one of my favourite items ever. I don’t even use Fly anymore. I just use the Flute. Not joking, I would pay cash money for a patch that allows me to fly over all of the regions like that. I don’t have to land and interact with them. Please just let me fly over them and enjoy them from above. Please.
> 
> Also props to Game Freak for managing to make Archie, Maxie, Matt, Tabitha, Shelly and Courtney 1000x gayer than they were in the originals. Bravo, Game Freak! Bravo! (Tone can be hard to convey over the internet, so let me make it clear: I’m not being sarcastic, I’m genuinely loving how gay everybody suddenly is.) Further bonus points for how stunningly fabulous Wallace is. The poses he strikes pre-battle (not to mention the close-up of his ass).

"What are you doing here?” Saylee asked. “I thought you were organizing the coastal evacuation.”

"No, no, Wallace is handling that," Steven sighed. "What are _you_ doing here? I thought nobody else knew of this place—is that a member of Team Aqua I see behind you?"

"My name is Shelly, thank you," Shelly huffed, crossing her arms. "And yes, I _am_ from Team Aqua. What are you gonna do, lock me up?"

“I seem to have left my handcuffs at Wallace’s," Steven replied, bowing his head slightly at Shelly (who muttered something about Matt owing her money) before looking back at Saylee. "What are the both of you doing here? Saylee, weren’t you and Key going to Sootopolis?"

"We kinda got sucked into a whirlpool on the way," Saylee replied. "I was unconscious for a while. All I know is that I nearly drowned and that Shelly saved me."

"Well, I guess that at least explains why you're together..." Steven said.

"What about you? What are _you_ doing here?" Shelly asked, still eyeing Steven. “You never answered her before.”

"That... is none of your concern," Steven answered calmly. His voice hadn't been threatening in the slightest, but the tone still made Saylee nervous.

"You _do_ realise you look pretty damn suspicious, all alone in some underwater cave nobody is supposed to know about?" Shelly remarked. Saylee tried not to roll her eyes.

Steven simply watched her without a reply, his expression neutral. Saylee watched him closely and saw it, the moment his eyes turned from brown to pink. Bozider’s eyes glowed ever so slightly.

" _Saylee_ ," Steven's voice suddenly said in her head. Her entire body tensed from the surprise, but she didn't move. " _This cave contains the key to an immense power, one that could stop Kyogre if Team Aqua were to awaken it. If Shelly finds out, she'll try to stop me. I **must** awaken the Guardians so that if we fail to stop Archie and Marc, the world will not be condemned to destruction_."

 _The guardians of ice, stone and steel?_ Saylee guessed.

 _“How much do you know about them? No, now’s not the time, Shelly’s staring._ ” Saylee broke off her staring match with Steven to see that Shelly was, indeed, watching them stare each other down with a suspicious expression. _“Just keep her out of the way, Please. There’s no time to lose._ ”

{}

"Surprise, surprise..." Archie hummed quietly as Key's eyes widened. "Who would've thought we'd find an underwater cave here?"

"Do you think Saylee and Shelly are in there?" Key asked nervously, watching the sub approach the underwater cliff and the dark black cavern that was visible on its side.

"That's what we're going to find out," Archie declared, steering the sub through the cave entrance. He shut the engine off as they reached the inside and flipped a switch to open the hatch. “Water pressure’s abnormally low for this depth… I don’t have any spare wetsuits, but if you’re coming you’re gonna need a breather.” He picked up one of the small head-wrapping contortions of pipes and tubes, holding out a second for Key.

"Well, I'm not gonna let you swim off on your own, am I?" Key sighed, putting the breather on and stepping into the water-filled hatch. She waited for Archie to settle next to her before wrapping her arms around him.

He blinked at her.

"...What?” Key said with a scowl. “Might as well stick to ‘overly clingy’ since I’m not a great swimmer underwater…”

"Uh… right then. Just… hold on tight." He put the mouthpiece of his breather in and reached for the hatch controls.

Key nodded and put the breather in her mouth. They both simultaneously put their heads under the water, after which Archie pressed a few buttons on the side as quickly as possible. The metal 'doors' over them shut, and the ones under them opened. Key tightened her grip on Archie as he swam upward towards the surface. Archie was surprised to notice that the water was fresh, not salt, and focused on wondering about that rather than Key clinging to him. When their heads finally shot over the surface, she continued to cling to Archie as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and used the other to get to land.

"...I'm gonna end up catching a cold if this goes on," Key muttered after taking her breather out when they finally got out of the water, soaked to the skin.

"That's life in the water for you," Archie said with a grin, wringing some of the water out of his jacket. "Too bad not many people think being wet is fun—some react worse than Numel."

Key giggled lightly, wringing out some water from her own clothes.

Her smile slowly faded as she watched him take off his headscarf and wring water out of that as well.

"...Archie?"

He turned to her and blinked. "...What's wrong?"

"That whole thing with Kyogre..." Key trailed off, before shaking her head. "I know you said that it was just to stop Groudon if Magma were to awaken it, but... there are consequences that need to be taken into account, and _that_ is a fact too. There are so many places that are going to be flooded, so many homes destroyed... the expanding of the ocean isn't just going to be limited to Hoenn. Saylee lives on a town near the coast in Kanto, and _her_ home is going to be flooded and destroyed too. Archie, I—" Key swallowed. "I don't think you’re a bad person, I just... are your ideals really worth doing so much?"

"I—" Archie started hesitantly. He looked away. "I wish none of this Aqua-Magma stuff had ever had to happen. I wasn’t the one who started it all—"

"Then just _drop_ everything," Key pleaded. "You haven't reached Kyogre yet, right? That means there's still time. We can think of something else to fight Groudon. There's no reason for you to do all of this if you don't want to."

Archie shook his head. “I have to. I can’t stop here. Because if I do, then everything will—” He stopped, seemingly trying to choose his words, before giving up with a sigh and turning away again.

"Archie...Can you tell me?" Key whispered quietly. "I want to know. I _need_ to know. I want to hear your reasons, I... I want to know... what William, and Winnie, and Polly and Teddy all died for.”

Archie stared down at the blue piece of cloth in his hand. He shifted slightly, thinking, not sure what to reply.

He eventually tied the bandana over his head again, looking back up at Key morosely. “…Okay.”

{}

"What the hell are you doing?” Shelly demanded as Steven and Saylee walked back around the corner. “Hey! Stop eyesexing each other and tell me!” Saylee and Steven both ignored her.

"Steven, are you sure about this?" Saylee asked quietly. "Aren't there any other ways to do this?"

"There are other ways, yes," Steven replied. "But that doesn't necessarily make them any less dangerous. The other method would've simply been a little easier, in my opinion."

"What would that have been?" Saylee asked

They stopped in front of the wall Steven had been standing by when they first saw him. Now that Saylee could get a closer look, there were six slots in the wall, all in a circle. Thin lines were carved between the different slots.

"Saylee, can you read braille?" Steven asked, smiling slightly.

“…Yes,” Saylee admitted, not looking at Shelly. “Can you?”

"Yes,” Steven said simply, no more willing to elaborate than Saylee was. He raised his arm and gently let his hand glide over the markings.

" _In this cave we have lived_ ," he read. " _We owe all to the Pokémon. But, we sealed the Pokémon away. We feared it. Those with courage, those with hope. Open a door. An eternal Pokémon awaits_."

" _We feared it_?" Saylee repeated. "What's 'it'?"

"Who knows," Steven shrugged. "I've come here once, maybe twice before. I never found out what this text means. My father and I are still researching the full meaning of it. Who was it that lived here? Who left this text behind? What are they trying to tell us?"

"Are you in on this?” Shelly asked Saylee. “What are you _talking_ about? What the hell are you two up to together? How can you call _me_ suspicious?”

"Please wait a little longer, then all will become clear," Steven said softly. "I can’t allow you to interfere."

" _You_ are the one interfering!” Shelly yelled. “What the hell is it with everyone trying to stop us? To stop Archie? What is so wrong about what he's trying to achieve?!"

"Wish I knew what was so right about it that you'd try so hard," Saylee said, grabbing Shelly’s arm as the woman stepped angrily towards Steven. Shelly tugged at her grip, looking surprised when she was unable to break it. "Sorry, Shelly, but I’m not going to let you summon Kyogre. We need to focus on stopping Marc.”

"I don't give a flying Rattata's ass about what you plan on doing with Marc," Shelly spat. "If it weren't for _him_ , none of us would be standing here in this stupid cave in the first place! Everything that's happened until now is _his_ fault! _Everything!_ "

"...You said Marc killed before, didn’t you? Did you mean Adrian Irving?" Saylee asked. Shelly just growled.

"Saylee, see this?" Steven said, pointing at the braille under the slots. " _First comes Wailord. Last comes Relicanth._ "

"What does that mean?" Saylee asked, half-ignoring Shelly's swearing.

"Have you noticed how the slots are the size of a Pokéball?” Steven said, taking a bag from Bozider and opening it. “Like I said, I've been here before, so I came prepared this time."

“This is insane,” Shelly growled. “One minute you’re telling me that these carvings are impossibly ancient, next you’re telling me that whatever this is was built with _pokéballs_ in mind?!”

“I believe they have been carved by a later hand,” Steven said. “I believe this place has been visited and altered several times over the millennia.”

One by one, Steven pulled out Pokéballs and placed them into the slots. Saylee could almost hear a faint clicking sound with each one. After placing the fifth one, Steven turned and looked at Shelly hesitantly, then returned Bozider, holding the Metagross’ pokéball in front of the last empty slot.

"This is the only way I have left for us to protect Hoenn—and the rest of the world," Steven murmured. "If only the Jade Orb still existed..."

Saylee's mind suddenly raced as Steven called Bozider back into his Pokéball. The Jade Orb. Jade. _Green._

“ _The Green Orb is on its way to Hoenn_ —”

Saylee let go of Shelly and ran towards Steven as he placed the pokéball in the sixth open slot. “Steven! I know where the Jade Orb is!” she yelled.

“You _what?!_ ” Steven said. But the Pokéball had already been placed.

The entire cave began to rumble violently.

Shelly screamed and turned to run as the ground shook under her feet. Steven grabbed his Pokémon out of the slots on the wall, but it seemed too late to stop whatever he had started.

“Let’s just run!” Saylee yelled, switching on her pokégear light and taking off after Shelly, stumbling with a yelp of pain as the attempt to run tore at her side. A moment later, the cave behind her went dark as the tremors dislodged a stalactite from the ceiling, causing it to fall and smash the light that Steven had set up. “STEVEN!”

"Keep going!" Steven yelled, wrapping an arm around Saylee and half-carrying her along as they all ran. Shelly yelped as a stone came crashing down from the ceiling somewhere near her.

"You people are _insane_!” she screamed angrily. “What the hell did you _do_?”

“Set off a defence mechanism!” Steven shouted. “The panels on the wall did speak of a… _sacrifice_ … I don’t think whoever woke them up was supposed to get out of here alive! That would make sure that they weren’t awoken by someone intending to use them, that they were only awoken in a time of crisis greater than the threat to the life of a single person!”

“Could’ve told us that before you did whatever the hell you did!” Shelly yelled.

“Tell me you planned a way out, Steven!” Saylee yelled. Steven yanked her backwards off her feet, releasing Bozider, who grabbed Shelly an instant before the entire path ahead of them collapsed.

“Hang on!” Steven yelled, grabbing onto Bozider. The rock above them suddenly opened up. Shelly screamed and ducked onto Bozider’s back, but looking up Saylee could see that it wasn’t collapsing. It was more like the stone had been… _folded_ out of the way. Bozider shot up, and Saylee could see Steven’s Claydol and a strange blue Pokémon that looked a little like Aggron standing in the tunnel far above them. From the way the rocks around them were glowing faintly, Saylee guessed that they were using Ancientpower. She’d seen Tobias use it before.

“Close it!” Steven ordered as soon as they were clear. The rock rolled back into place, and now, while the ground under their feet was rumbling, nothing was collapsing. That tunnel really had been a trap.

“Well done,” Steven said to his Pokémon, looking relieved. “Now if both Groudon and Kyogre are awakened, we should be able to contain the fighting… but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Saylee took out her pokédex and scanned the blue Pokémon. _Armaldo: extinct_. Somehow, it didn’t surprise her that Steven had fossil Pokémon. “What _are_ these warriors the writings on the wall keep going on about, Steven?” she asked. “Are they Pokémon?”

“Yes and no,” Steven said evasively. “Pokémon, but Pokémon created artificially, thousands of years before Porygon.”

“Created by humans?” Saylee asked.

“Steven, we found it,” the Armaldo said, a touch nervously. “This tunnel leads to it…”

“Really?” Steven said with interest, letting go of Bozider and dropping to the floor. Saylee kicked Steven in the knee to get him to set her on her own feet. He was at least a foot and a half taller than her. “Bozider, please hang onto Miss Shelly.”

“What?!” Shelly yelped angrily as Bozider spun two of his legs around to grip her by the wrists, holding her in place. “Hey! Let me _go_!”

“Can’t have you warning your leader that I’m here and up for some champion-level interference,” Steven said mildly. “Lead the way, Abimael. Sar Kanto, shall we?”

“You seem to have been planning this for a long time, Steven,” Saylee said pointedly, following him down the tunnels that his Armaldo led them into. “Did you know this was going to happen?”

“When I became Champion, that put me in charge of defending the people and Pokémon of Hoenn from anything that might harm them,” Steven explained. “I took the job extremely seriously. I planned for the worst-case scenario. That means ancient titans of immense power awakening and battling it out across the country.”

“Normal people don’t even believe that Groudon and Kyogre are real,” Saylee pointed out.

“Normal people don’t tend to become Champion,” Steven laughed. “It started out a theoretical exercise, but… one of the Elites, Phoebe, let me in on the secret of the existence of the Ruby and Sapphire Orbs. Her grandparents guard them. She also told me about how they’d been broken to prevent Groudon and Kyogre awakening, but that they were impossible to actually destroy. I knew then that so long as all the pieces existed, they could be reunited. Rationally, I didn’t expect it to really happen, but the ‘just in case’ is so catastrophic that it had to be prepared for. Then Aqua and Magma caught my attention…”

“What do you mean, _caught your attention_?” Shelly demanded.

“Well, a lot of strange things came out in the wake of Kanto reuniting with the rest of the world,” Steven said, looking at Saylee. “What had really gone on in Kanto was released to only a very small number of people. The truth of the trigger to the civil war is both horrific and dangerous, especially with other countries in the rest of the world struggling with similar difficulties… it’s easy to see the Master Ball as a horrific invention here, where we can understand Pokémon as intelligent beings, but not everywhere is like that.” Saylee and Shelly both flinched at the mention of the Master Ball. “I stepped down from being the Champion after that. I felt that this was too important to give anything less than my full attention to, but there’s a lot of day-to-day dross and paperwork that comes with being Champion. Wallace was more than happy—and qualified—to take the job, so I went for full-time investigation. Do you remember delivering a letter to me with your friend Key, Saylee?”

“Uh, yes,” Saylee said, remembering how they’d found Steven in the caves of Dewford. “The one from your father? I assumed it was personal…”

“Not at all,” Steven confessed. “It was about the attempted theft of the part to the submarine. Devon has had dealings in technology with both the Aqua and Magma foundations, which is to say I’ve been able to keep tabs on what kind of technology both groups have been purchasing and infer what they’ve been doing as a result.”

“That’s illegal use of business data!” Shelly yelled.

“You’re going to get on _his_ case about illegal activity?” Saylee said incredulously. Bozider and the Claydol laughed.

Steven smiled. “I knew that they were building up to something major,” he said softly. “You’ve already done more than enough for this world, Sar Kanto, with what you’ve done for both Kanto and Johto. And you suffered more than enough to bring hope to those nations.” His hand hovered over her back for a moment, over some of her largest and most visible scars. Saylee pressed her hand to the burns, remembering Cinnabar Island, the labs, the old mansion, the insane old scientist. _That was where Mewtwo was born. That was where it ended_. _That was where Miranda…_

“Thank you for your concern,” she said softly, “but it seems to be my career to suffer in exchange for saving the world. Seems like a cheap deal, all things considered, don’t you?”

“Yeah, you’re such a _martyr_ ,” Shelly spat. “Get over yourself.”

“She’s just being aggressive because she’s helpless,” Steven said, making Shelley spit a stream of furious invectives. “Saylee, before, you said you knew where the Jade Orb was…”

“Down there, Steven,” Abimael called. Forgetting his question for the moment, Steven ran up the tunnel to join Abimael on a small plateau of rock that jutted out over a vast, glowing lake below. Saylee hurried after him, kneeling at the edge of the plateau to peer downwards.

She found herself gazing down upon Kyogre.


	32. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 20   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

“My father Adrian and Marc used to be friends,” Archie explained as they started down the tunnel. “They worked together. Magma and Aqua used to be one environmental research organization. Marc and Kalle came along to family birthdays, things like that… until he murdered my father.”

“Why?” Key asked. “Shelly said he did, but… why?”

“I’ve never known,” Archie said grimly. “But…” he trailed off, glancing at Key as her pokénav rang. “That’s getting a signal?”

“No, but it can make short range calls to people in my contacts list,” Key said, grinning excitedly when she saw that the number was Saylee’s. “It’s Saylee! She’s okay! Saylee, where are you?” she asked when she picked up. “Are you okay? Are you with Shelly?”

“ _I am_ ,” Saylee said. “ _I’m so glad you’re okay. I was scared you’d been—_ ”

“ _Archie!”_ Shelly interrupted loudly. _“They’re fucking insane! You have to get to Kyogre before_ —”

“Shelly?!” Archie shouted into the pokénav as Shelly’s voice was cut off. “She’s alive! Shelly?! Are you okay? Where are you?!”

“ _They’re both with me, and quite safe for now, I assure you._ ”

“Steven?” Key said in surprise. “Steven _Stone_?”

“What?!” Archie growled. “Stone, what the hell did you do to Shelly?”

“ _Nothing yet. But I will not permit you to awaken Kyogre. I’m coming to place you and your entire organization under arrest for grand theft sub, multiple Pokémon murders and illegal trespass in the sanctuary of a legendary Pokémon. Enjoy your last few minutes of freedom_.” The call hung up.

“Hey! Stone! You bastard, answer me!” Archie shouted, trying to redial. The call rang out. “Damnit, he’s turned your friend’s phone off. That bastard. What’s he planning?”

“How to stop you, I’m assuming,” Key pointed out. “I still don’t get why you’re doing all of this. If Marc murdered your father, why didn’t you just go to the police?”

“They concluded that it was an accident,” Archie said shortly. “They wouldn’t believe me that Marc just made it _look_ like one. They wouldn’t believe me that Marc’s dangerous, and neither would the League, at the time… they’ve always been useless. Probably why Stone left.” He scowled, grinding his teeth. “He’s not with the League anymore. He doesn’t have the legal right to arrest anybody. So what the hell is he doing here?” He gave Key a push forwards, not a violent shove but simply a strong, firm _you will move now_. “Let’s go.”

“So, what, I’m your counter-hostage now?” Key said angrily.

“Thanks for volunteering,” Archie muttered. “Good thing you didn’t stay in the sub.”

“Can I convince you _not_ to awaken Kyogre in exchange?” Key suggested.

“Shut up and walk.”

{}

“So _this_ is Kyogre,” Saylee breathed, staring in awe at the titanic blue beast sleeping in the lake below them. The water around it was glowing softly, making every inch of the giant visible. Mossdeep City could easily fit on its back.

“Really somethin’, ain’t it?” Skye muttered in awe. She had her cottony wings wrapped around Shelly, mainly her mouth, keeping her quiet since her attempt to steal Saylee’s pokégear when she had picked up Key’s shortwave signal. Saylee had released Skye, partially to quiet Shelly and partly out of fear that their struggling would knock one of them off of the ledge. She hadn’t bothered to switch her gear back on after Steven unceremoniously ended the call—she wanted to talk to Key more, but she wasn’t sure that Key had any way to stop Archie from hijacking the call. Saylee was immensely relieved to know that Key was alive, but it wasn’t comforting to know that she was alone with Archie. _Key kept insisting that she wasn’t as much of a threat as Marc, and right now maybe he isn’t, but that doesn’t mean she’s not still dangerous…_

Movement below caught her eye and she realized that Kyogre wasn’t the only thing below them. Saylee flattened herself to the ground tentatively, surprised by how painlessly she could move all of a sudden— _When did my injuries stop hurting?_ She wondered. _I haven’t noticed them since we ran away from that trap…_

“I see them too,” Steven murmured, returning his Armaldo and Claydol and crouching down. Four Aqua members seemed to have set up camp by the water’s edge. “It might be best to find and retrieve the Ruby Orb before Archie arrives,” Steven continued. “I’m sure you also noticed the distinct drop in Marc’s sanity after he used the Sapphire Orb?”

Saylee nodded. “I’m not saying he was sane in the first place,” she whispered, “but at the Space Centre… he was practically frothing at the mouth. Kyogre’s rage will infest Archie, just like Groudon’s infested Marc, and it’ll destroy them both…”

“You’re lying!” Shelly managed to yelp, half-spitting cottony feathers. “You’re just here to arrest Archie and—mmph!”

“Sorry ‘bout that, darlin’,” Skye apologized, covering Shelly’s mouth again before her shouting could alert her cohorts below.

“Would you stop acting like a bloody child?!” Saylee growled at Shelly. “Why the hell do you think I’m trying to arrest Archie?!”

“Can you two bitch at each other more quietly?” Steven hissed. “Something’s happening!”

A couple of the Aqua members had started running towards some point on the wall, presumably where another tunnel was. Shelly’s voice didn’t seem to have reached them, but the shout from below certainly rang upwards well enough.

“THE RED ORB’S IN HIS SATCHEL!”

“Key!” Saylee gasped, climbing onto Skye’s back and pulling Key’s pokéballs back out of her bag. “Drop her onto Bozider, we need to get Key!” she ordered.

“That little bitch,” Shelly growled as she was dropped onto Bozider’s back. Steven climbed up next to her, holding a finger to his lips. “Yeah, right. Two can play at _that_ game. THE KANTO RANGER AND STEVEN STONE ARE—mmmph!”

“Please don’t lick my hand, it’s disgusting,” Steven said, one arm wrapped around her to hold her still and the other hand pressed firmly over her mouth. “Bozider, descend. We need to get that Orb!”

{}

“Oh dear, no way of knowing which way to go, you should turn back now,” Key said as they reached a fork in the tunnel.

“Yeah, right,” Archie said, releasing his Crobat and Mightyena. “Coby, Magellan, can you find the route down?”

“Sure thing, boss,” Coby said, flapping off down the tunnel. Magellan sniffed suspiciously at Key before trotting off ahead, sniffing at the ground in front of a fork in the caves and leading them down the left tunnel.

“I’d have stopped you already if I had my Pokémon,” Key insisted. “Why don’t you tell me exactly why you think Marc killed your dad?”

“How about no?” Archie said, pushing Key to walk in front of him. “If you’re going to come along, I want to be able to keep an eye on you.”

“So if I just stand here, you’ll stop here and keep an eye on me?” Key said, crossing her arms and standing firm. Archie just gave her another push.

“If only you could see how important what we’re doing is…” Archie began.

“If only you could see it’s dumb and dangerous…” Key shot back.

“Marc’s the bastard tying to blow up volcanoes and awaken Groudon and _I’m_ dumb and dangerous?” Archie snapped. “You’ll understand soon enough.”

“Archie!” Matt called, running up the tunnel and giving Magellan a scratch behind the ears. “We found—why’d you bring _her_ with you? Did you find Shelly?”

“She hasn’t got her Pokémon, she’s harmless,” Archie said dismissively, making Key scowl. “Shelly’s down here somewhere, but Steven Stone’s got her. Sounds like he’s thinking of holding her hostage against the Red Orb.”

Matt sucked in his breath sharply. “Do you think he’d—”

“He’s bluffing,” Archie said firmly. “He’s a former Champion. They’re generally too self-righteous to hurt a hostage.” Given his earlier misgivings, Key guessed that he was just saying this for the benefit of Matt, who looked terrified on Shelly’s behalf. “Besides, if he wants to trade he’ll have to prioritize saving Key here over the Red Orb.”

“If awakening Kyogre makes everything go wrong, which it will, thousands of people could die,” Key pointed out. “He might have to prioritize _that_. Besides, Saylee’s with him too. She’s from Kanto. They can be a bit… flexible about how they apply rules. And she’s _not_ about to let you awaken Kyogre.”

“If she’s from Kanto, then she ought to understand better than anyone!” Archie snapped. “My father told me what was done to the rivers and seas there, how they were so toxic that the water dissolved ships! With Kyogre’s power, I won’t just stop Marc, I’ll be able to ensure that the waters of this world will never be so misused again!”

“But you don’t understand, you won’t be able to control it!” Key said angrily. “You—”

“Matt, are the other three in the cavern ahead?” Coby interrupted.

“Uh, yeah, why?” Matt said, taken off-guard by the question.

“Because I’m picking up six humans in there,” Coby said.

“Shelly, Saylee and Stone!” Archie growled, grabbing Key by the arm and dragging her down the tunnel. “Everyone keep quiet…”

“Don’t worry,” Matt whispered to Key as he passed a satchel to Archie. “We can control Kyogre.”

“With the Red Orb?” Key asked sarcastically. Archie and Matt both glanced briefly at the satchel. “Thank you. THE RED ORB’S IN HIS SATCHEL!”

“What the hell are you doing?” Archie growled, letting go of her arm to press his hand over her mouth. “One more sound out of you and I swear—”

 _What the hell_ are _you doing, pissing him off?_ Key thought to herself, suddenly frightened by the angry way Archie was glaring at her. _He’s a dangerous criminal, he’s holding you_ hostage _, he—_

_He didn’t have to come get me. But he did._

Key licked his hand.

“Eurgh!” Archie yelped, letting her go with a shudder of revulsion. “Well, our cover’s blown anyway. Matt, hang onto her. Coby, Magellan, get in the cave and warn the others. If you see Stone, Magellan, attack. Stone’s Metagross is famous for its psychic powers.”

“Meaning it can’t do jack to me. Got it, boss,” the Mightyena said with a smirk before taking off down the tunnel ahead of them. Matt somewhat tentatively grabbed Key’s arm and dragged her along after Archie. The path sloped steeply, leading them down into a vast cavern. Key craned her head back, but she couldn’t see the ceiling. Archie and Matt had turned their torches off because most of the cavern was lit by a faint blue glow from a tremendous lake. Key couldn’t be sure, but it looked like it had a horizon.

It was also crystal clear, allowing them to see Kyogre sleeping at the bottom.

Key gasped. She’d never seen anything so vast. She’d only seen Groudon’s tremendous claw, but it fully hit her how titanic it must be to even fight against the leviathan in the water below.

“Kyogre,” Archie said, his eyes gleaming. “Finally…”

“Incoming, boss!” Coby shrieked. The Crobat suddenly lit up bright pink in the darkness, falling to the ground with a _screech._

“Key!”

“Saylee!” Key cried in relief as her friend swooped out of the darkness on Skye’s back, the Altaria aiming a blast of dragonfire at Magellan and then sweeping it across the ground in front of the other three Aqua members as a warning shot not to move.

“Stop right there!” Matt bellowed, tightening his grip on Key. “Where’s Shelly?”

“I’m here,” Shelly called. Bozider glowed pink as he floated down towards them, Steven Stone crouched on his back and holding onto Shelly in the standard hostage position.

“Hostage exchange?” Steven asked, nodding to Key.

“Shelly for Key,” Archie agreed. “Then you step back and let me summon Kyogre.”

“Sure, I promise,” Steven said lightly.

“Oh, come on, you’re obviously lying,” Shelly said scathingly.

“You mean there _is_ honour among thieves?” Steven asked curiously.

“Can we just do the exchange already?” Saylee asked, looking from Shelly to Key. “You okay, Key?”

“Kinda shaken up, but yeah,” Key promised. “You have no idea how happy I am that you’re alive.”

“Same,” Saylee agreed with a little grin. She held up what Key realized was her own pokéball belt. “They’re all here, don’t worry. Archie, you can’t summon Kyogre. Not without this.” She pulled the Master Ball out of her pocket. Archie looked startled, digging frantically into the satchel while Steven climbed off of Bozider’s back and edged towards Matt, dragging Shelly.

“That can’t be…” Archie said, looking at the other Aqua members. “Did one of you take it out?”

“None of us even touched the satchel, boss,” one of them said, holding up his hands. “Only Matt’s been carrying it.”

“I haven’t even opened it!” Matt said defensively.

“So when did you…” Archie said, staring at the Master Ball.

Saylee pressed a finger to her lips. “Secret,” she said, watching Steven reach for Key’s arm while Matt reached for Shelly’s, both men maintaining suspicious eye contact. In one movement, they pulled their hostages away, Steven helping Key onto Bozider’s back while Matt gave Shelly a happy hug. They quickly broke apart, adopting professional faces, although Archie also gave Shelly a relieved squeeze on the shoulder.

“Now… without this, you can’t control Kyogre, can you?” Saylee said, holding up the Master Ball.

“Then I’ll have to take it from you,” Archie said menacingly, pointing a pokéball at the water. “Shanks!”

Shanks was a Sharpedo, but much bigger than Shelly’s, more than twice the size with larger and more numerous sharp teeth and a cross-hatch of scars across his body. Shanks was old, and clearly powerful. “Hey, you found ‘er!” Shanks said, looking down into the water. “Good job, kiddo. Adrian’d be proud.”

“Not if I got everyone here killed by waking it without the Master Ball,” Archie said, pointing up at Saylee and Skye. “Take them down and retrieve it!” Several Golbat, Mightyena and smaller Sharpedo were released by the other Aqua members.

“Aye aye, kiddo!” Shanks snarled, shooting out of the water and clamping onto Skye’s wing. Skye screeched as she spiralled out of the air.

“Dragonbreath, Skye!” Saylee yelled, pocketing the Master Ball and throwing Key’s Pokémon to her.

“Get _off_!” Skye screeched, blasting purple fire over shanks. Shanks let go and _splashed_ into the water, but they could see his fin circling, ready to attack again, and Skye’s wing was too injured for her to fly very high. Shikoba and Topaz appeared in the air around her, fending off attacking Golbat while the rest of Key’s Pokémon dived into a melee with the pack of Aqua Mightyena below, keeping them from attacking Bozider. There was a feral snarl as Python broke out of the pack and dived at Archie, but Magellan intercepted him. Saylee sent Sanborn, Zac and Molly down to help, keeping Nadia out of the way of all of the water-types and releasing Oberon onto the very edge of the lake.

“Use Bullet Seed!” Saylee ordered pointing down at the lake. The grass-type sent a spray of seeds at Shanks that blasted the bulky Sharpedo out of the water.

“Bite it, Shanks! Don’t let it hurt Kyogre!” Archie ordered. Shanks leapt out of the water and dived at Oberon, who elegantly twirled out of the way and landed on Shanks’ head, anticipating Saylee’s next order.

“Now, Giga Drain!” Saylee called. She finished spraying Hyper Potion on Skye’s wing. “Get down close to Zac and Leslie,” she ordered. Skye simply swooped down and scooped the two Linoone up onto her back.

“What the—?!” Zac yelped. Leslie batted his nose with her paws until he shut up.

“I need you two to get the satchel that Archie’s carrying away from him,” Saylee ordered quietly.

“Gotcha,” Zac said, waiting until Skye swooped down low before leaping off of her back with Leslie in tow. The two of them darted off around the cavern, circling around to sneak up on Archie from behind. Saylee turned her attention back to her Pokémon, not wanting to be caught staring at the sneaking Linoone. One of the Aqua Mightyena was making straight for Bozider, who was distracted by psychic-attacking Golbat out of the air.

“Sanborn, Rock Smash!” Saylee shouted, pointing to the escaped Mightyena. Sanborn smashed it aside hard enough to send it slamming into the wall, then found himself circling Matt’s Mightyena.

“You won’t get a sneak attack on me,” the large Mightyena growled.

“Don’t need one, sucka,” Sanborn said, raising his claws. “C’mon, let’s do this. Two hits, me hittin’ you, you hittin’ the ground, c’mon!”

“Take Down!” Matt yelled.

“Rock Smash!” Saylee ordered.

“Can’t you shake him off?!” Archie shouted. Saylee looked back to Oberon and Shanks’ battle to see that Shanks had dived underwater in an attempt to wash Oberon off, but from the look of the green glow floating up, Oberon was clinging on just fine and continuing to drain energy. He wouldn’t drown; grass-types didn’t generally have lungs, as such.

Skye swooped around Bozider, Steven and Key. “It’s no good,” Bozider was saying to Steven. “It resists my power.”

“So simply teleporting the Orb out of his bag is not an option…” Steven mused. “Thank you for the save, Saylee.”

“Where the hell are the rest of your Pokémon?” Saylee asked.

“I sent them up to start digging out the cavern above,” Steven said, pointing up. “Get ready to flee down the tunnel on my mark. If all else fails, they’re going to bring down this entire cavern on Kyogre. It probably won’t be possible to crush her, but burying her should at least immobilize her…”

“ARCHIE, LOOK OUT!” Shelly suddenly cried, diving towards him and grabbing Leslie around the neck as she tried to swipe the Red Orb out of Archie’s bag, tugging the cloth wrapping it out with her teeth.

“Get offa her!” Zac snarled, sinking his teeth into Shelly’s shoulder. Shelly shrieked in pain and jerked back, pulling Leslie away with her. The Red Orb was tugged out of Archie’s bag and began to fall out of its wrapping.

“Watch it!” Archie yelled, twisting around to catch the gleaming red stone.

“DON’T TOUCH IT!” Saylee screamed, but she was drowned out by a deep, rumbling roar as the blue glow of the water died and the cave was plunged into darkness.

“ _TRAITOR…_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still crying a lot about the end of Legend of Korra… because there’s no new episode next week or ever again. Because those fights were AMAZING. Because I thought Mako was dead for a minute. Because Varrick and Zhu Li did the thing. And because Bryke blesses us with Korrasami so canon you can TASTE it. I really can’t handle how happy that ending makes me, even though I’m sad because it’s the end. Not just because I ship Korrasami (although I have since Book 3) but because they got a bisexual couple of same-sex partners on a major kids’ show. Like Adventure Time, they weren’t allowed to show it outright, but goddamn if they aren’t as unsubtle as humanly possible about it. Do you have any idea what a difference it can make to show these kinds of couples onscreen? I mean, damn, if I’d seen characters onscreen that liked both boys and girls when I was a kid, that would’ve saved me YEARS of confusion. 
> 
> Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra are an absolute blessing and a treasure and if you’ve never seen them, I highly urge you to go watch both, right now. Stop reading fanfic and go watch. If you started watching Korra and stopped in Book 1 or 2, I understand but Books 3 and 4 are SO MUCH BETTER, so do yourself a favour and go watch the rest of it. Let the light of Avatar into your life. 
> 
> This has been a PSA.


	33. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 20   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

Saylee couldn’t see a thing as the cave was plunged into darkness, but she could hear splashes below as waves began to rise and fall. There was an angry, rumbling _roar_ that echoed around the entire cavern. Kyogre was beginning to rise.

“Everybody return!” Saylee shouted, returning all of her Pokémon except Skye as quickly as she could manage in the darkness. She could see more flashes as Key did the same. A red glow was starting to rise where Archie was.

“DROP THE CAVE!” Steven shouted upwards. “Saylee, come here! Bozider can get us out!”

“What do you mean?” Saylee called as Skye flew towards Bozider. The Metagross reached out and managed to get a grip on Skye’s foot. There was a pink flash, and suddenly they were outside, flying over violently roiling waves.

“Wait!” Key yelled. “What about Archie? Matt? Shelly? They’re all still down there!”

“They made their bed, now they can lie in it,” Steven said grimly. “Collapsing the cavern will slow Kyogre down, but I don’t think it will stop her entirely, and odds are even that Groudon will dig her out so they can fight. Once the fighting starts, only Rayquaza can send them back to sleep.”

“The Jade Orb is on its way to Hoenn, but I don’t know when it’ll get here,” Saylee said. “What about your containment plan?”

“They’ll start appearing soon to contain the fighting, but I don’t know where,” Steven said, pointing across the waves to what appeared to be a huge, white mountain raising out of the water not far away. “That’s Sootopolis. They’re right over the cavern, and I need you to go make sure everyone evacuates in time. Send them to Rustboro. Go!” The second Key had released Shikoba and climbed onto his back, Bozider and Steven vanished.

“You heard him, let’s go!” Saylee shouted over the roaring waves, pointing to Sootopolis.

“Sure thang,” Skye said, flying towards the city with Shikoba in tow.

Key called Saylee on her pokégear so they could hear each other over the wind and waves. “ _Even if Steven can contain them, we’ll still need to stop them, right?_ ” Key shouted.

“Even once we get the Jade Orb, I don’t know what to do with it,” Saylee replied.

“ _I know someone who might,_ ” Key said. There were several beeps as Key conference-called in a third person.

“ _Aggie speaking, who the hell are you?_ ” a sleepy-sounding man said.

“ _Aggie, it’s Key.”_

_“Long time no see, Key. Who’s the other caller?”_

_“My friend Saylee. She’s got something to ask you about legendary Pokémon of Hoenn._ ”

“ _Did you look at your watch before calling? I was asleep…_ ”

“Sorry, but this is literally life-or-death,” Saylee interrupted. “I need to know what the Jade Orb has to do with Rayquaza.”

“ _The what? Legend suggests that you can summon Rayquaza from the top of the Sky Pillar, but I never read anything about an Orb before_. _Although, now that I think about it, it wouldn’t be too crazy for there to be a third Orb. Where the hell did you get that idea?_ ”

“Well, the Jade Orb was found, that kinda helped,” Saylee said. “Sky Pillar, you said? Where is that?”

“ _Y’mean where_ was _it. It used to be northeast of Pacifidlog. It collapsed two years ago._ ”

“ _Oh, I remember_!” Key suddenly interjected. “ _We were there at the time. It was a boat tour from the Home. Remember, Dad took everyone out to see some of the islands?_ ”

“ _Yeah, and Wally got lost when we were visiting Sky Pillar,_ ” Aggie agreed. “ _He just vanished, and then your dad was freaking out when the tower collapsed and we still couldn’t find him until that blond guy came out carrying him._ ”

“Blond guy?” Saylee asked, memory stirring. _So that was two years ago, huh…?_

“ _This lanky ill-looking blond dude who said Wally was ill,_ ” Aggie said. “ _There was this short woman with him too, but they just kinda vanished…_ ”

 “I think I might know what that was about,” Saylee said. “Aggie, right? Are you in Hoenn?”

“ _Nah, internship in Sinnoh, why?_ ”

“Good, you’re probably safe,” Saylee said. “Thank you for the information. I owe you big. Key, remind me sometime. I need to make another call.”

“ _Key, what the hell’s going on?_ ”

“ _Possibly the end of the world,_ ” Key said quickly. “ _Sorry, Aggie, gotta go._ ” There was a _beep_ as Aggie was disconnected. “ _Do we need to go to Sky Pillar—or what’s left of it—to get Rayquaza_?”

“It’s not there anymore,” Saylee explained. “Rayquaza met its avatar back then. I was there. The blond guy’s a time traveller. Long story.”

“ _Rayquaza met its--wait,_ ” Key said. “ _You’re telling me that for the last two years,_ Wally _has been_ Rayquaza?!”

“Not always who you’d expect, is it?” Saylee said. “I remembered it when we met him. I just didn’t mention it because at the time you didn’t know about avatars.” She winced as dark clouds rolled overhead, beginning to bucket down chilly rain. “As soon as the Jade Orb arrives, we’ll have to get it to him and hope he knows what to do with it from there.”

“Darlin’, don’t you need to call your man back to tell ‘im your alive for now?” Skye said. “We’re still a coupla minutes away from Sootopolis.”

“You’re right,” Saylee said, hanging up on Key before dialling Blue, which caused Key to pull faces at her as soon as they passed into a patch of sunlight. The sunlight was strong, which dried them out quickly but soon became extremely dry and uncomfortable.

“ _You’re alive! Ceez, I’m halfway towards just getting Sam to swim me to Hoenn,”_ Blue said when he picked up. “ _Ethan called me up a while ago, freaking out because you weren’t answering your phone and apparently the ocean currents are going_ weird.”

“Sorry, I’ve been in a cave under the sea, bad reception,” Saylee apologized. “I’m on my way to evacuate Sootopolis City. World’s ending.”

“ _Really? Shit. Well, when you get there, check the post office or something. Your Pokémon’ve been successfully sent. Sounds like you’re gonna need them._ ”

“That’s _brilliant_ ,” Saylee breathed. “This is why I love you. Perfect timing.”

“ _And also because I’m a witty, charming, smokin’ hot piece of ass._ ”

“Yeah, sure,” Saylee agreed. “The word ‘ass’ can definitely be used in a description of you. But really, thank you. I love you, and I’ll talk to you later.”

“ _You’d better. If the world ends, I’m never speaking to you again. Love you_.”

“If’n you’re getting’ your old fightin’ ‘mons, does that mean your sendin’ us away?” Skye asked as they rose up over Sootopolis. “That you ain’t gon’ fight with me an’ Sanborn an’ Zac an’…”

“Anyone who wants to stay and fight is welcome to,” Saylee reassured her. “Legally, I’m only supposed to carry six, but right now I think I’m gonna exercise my ranger’s discretion to break the law where necessary.”

They reached the top of the old volcano and began to circle down over the vast crater in which Sootopolis City was built.

The lake that had formed inside was huge, itself the size of a good-sized town. Hundreds of buildings were clustered on ringed plateaus that had been cut into the sides of the crater. People were visibly moving upwards, fleeing the lowest levels as waves washed over them. The water level was rising, and the water itself was churning wildly back and forth across the bowl of the lake.

“Excuse me!” Saylee called as they flew down over the people. “Can anyone tell me where to find the leader? Juan?”

“Down on the water,” a woman called. “He’s using his Pokémon to try and keep the waves down!”

“Thank you,” Saylee shouted. “Please spread the word that the city is to be evacuated entirely. Sootopolis needs to empty. Head for Rustboro! Spread the word!”

“I think I see ‘im!” Shikoba called, swooping down towards the water. Skye and Saylee followed until Saylee spotted a large Kingdra out among the raging waves. It was working with a couple of other large water-types to distort and soften the waves. The Kingdra was larger than Saylee remembered Clair’s being, signifying its age and power, but even that would be nothing against Groudon and Kyogre.

“Juan!” Saylee shouted as Skye swooped as close as she dared, just close enough to pick out a dark-haired man clinging to the Kingdra’s back. “Juan, you need to order the city to empty! Groudon and Kyogre are awake, angry, and headed for each other, and they’re going to clash near here! You need to get everyone to Rustboro!”

“Ye gods!” Juan shouted. “One moment, please!” The whole crater _buzzed_ as a thousand PAs activated.

“ _THIS IS JUAN! EVACUATION TO THE UPPER LEVELS IS CANCELLED! ALL CITIZENS, PLEASE EVACUATE TO RUSTBORO CITY IN AN ORDERLY MANNER! THANK YOU!”_

 _“_ Also, can you tell me where the post office is?” Saylee called when the announcement ended. “Some of my Pokémon have been delivered there.”

“Building with the pleasant mauve roof, fifth level!” Juan called. “Be quick, they’ll be closing up!”

“I’ll be right back!” Saylee shouted to Key. “Can you see it, Skye?”

“I’m lookin’, darlin’,” Skye said, flying up to the fifth level and starting to soar along it, scanning the buildings below. “There!”

Saylee’s phone rang. It was Key. “ _I’ve spotted Marc and Kalle! They just came out of a cave on the water!”_

Saylee looked around and managed to spot the distant, dark cave on the bottom level. She squinted, just about able to make out two tiny red figures in front of it even though the waves were crashing over them. Key and Shikoba were flying towards it, and she’d released Topaz too.

Skye landed in front of the post office just as a nervous middle-aged lady with neatly bobbed purple hair and glasses on a chain was locking up. “Hold on a minute!” Saylee called, hopping off of Skye’s back. “Sar Saylee of Kanto. Five pokéballs should’ve just been ported in to my account and I need to pick them up!”

“What? Oh, yes,” the woman said, dropping her bag in surprise. She looked split on whether to go back in or not until the clouds rumbled overhead and a sheet of rain drove down onto them. “Just a moment, Sar!” she shouted over the rain, unlocking the door again and running back inside. Skye drooped as the rain soaked into her cottony wings. Saylee clung to her and shivered until a patch of blazing sunlight passed over them, drying them. The women came running back out with a small cloth bag. “Do you mind if I skip the paperwork, hon? I suppose if you _are_ a fraud trying to steal a knight’s Pokémon, you deserve what you get from them.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Saylee said, opening the bag and counting the pokéballs. “Please hurry and evacuate now.” She climbed back onto Skye’s back as the woman hurried off and another squall of rain hit them. “C’mon, let’s get down to that cave.”

By the time they reached the cave, flying in and out of patches of rain and sun, Kalle was sitting on Topaz’ back, looking somewhat ill as he watched the dragon struggle to hold onto a flailing and shouting Marc. Any pretence of sanity was gone; the Magma leader was screaming relentlessly about how he was going to kill Kyogre.

“I took this from him, but it hasn’t done any good,” Kalle said, holding up the Blue Orb. It was glowing, and the glow was growing steadily brighter, except for around the crack.

“It’s not the Orb doing it, it’s Groudon,” Saylee called. “Speak of a Gengar…” An earthquake shook the city, and rocks and stones started cascading down from the lip of the crater. There were screams as part of the second level broke down, sending buildings sliding into the water. “Shit!”

“We need to go help!” Key cried.

Saylee looked up at the sky to make sure another shower of rain wasn’t about to hit them, then opened the bag and released the five Pokémon she’d been travelling with as a ranger for three years.

“Key, Topaz, Shikoba, Skye…” Saylee said, indicating each of them as she said their names, “meet Tobias and his mate Mary, Eric and Perun—they were my brother Red’s—and Charlotte. Her father was my first ever Pokémon, Chaz.”

“Oh my god, is she a Dragonite?!” Key yelped excitedly.

“Nope, I’m a Charizard, way better,” Charlotte insisted, waving her flaming tail.

“Nice to meet you all,” Tobias said politely. “Lee, what on earth is going on? This place feels…”

“Charlotte, I need you to go to Slateport City and find a boy…” Saylee looked at Eric, who nodded as he transmitted the psychic image of Wally’s face. “Make sure he finds the Jade Orb. Eric, can you go with her and put up a psychic barrier to keep the rain off?”

“Like this?” Eric asked, hopping onto Charlotte’s back seconds before the sunlight died down abruptly and a deluge of rain hit them. Mary and Perun yelped in surprise, trying not to electrocute Tobias. A pink shield glowed around Charlotte, protecting the fire-type from the water. “I can navigate, as well. I read the location of Slateport from your thoughts.”

“Thank you, please go NOW!” Saylee shouted as another dozen houses went sliding into the sea. The collapses had all been on the emptied lower levels so far, but there were still hundreds of people thronging the upper levels as they swarmed towards the hospital, the travel centre and anywhere else with teleporters out, and rain and stones were pouring down on them. Charlotte and Eric immediately took off. “Toby, I need you to help protect people! This crater is craving in and everyone’s trying to leave by the same handful of portpads! Just help make sure people don’t fall, aren’t crushed…”

“I understand,” Tobias said, psychically in order to be heard over the pounding rain.

“Whit aboot us?” Mary yelled.

“Mary, Perun, I’m going to need your help when Kyogre surfaces!” Saylee shouted. “It may be a damn big water-type, but that just makes it easier to hit! Remember Ho-oh? We didn’t knock it out, but we still weakened it! If we can minimize the damage—”

“Got it!” Perun said in her ear as he hopped onto her lap. “When’s that going to be?”

“GROUDON! LET ME GO! I’LL KILL GROUDON!”

Archie was wading through the waist-deep water flooding out of the cave mouth, thrashing and screaming at Marc as Shelly and Matt desperately tried to hold him back.

“Any minute now,” Saylee said grimly as the ground began to shake more violently. “For now, let’s try and get people out of here…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s the last chapter of 2014… thank you so much to everyone who’s read and reviewed this year! You’re the light of my life :) I hope you continue to enjoy reading through 2015, with the conclusion of Calamity Calls and the beginning of Dimensional Destruction!


	34. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 20   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! Here in the nuzverse, we’re staring off with a bang and a casual reminder that this series started out as an apocalyptic scenario :P Hope you’ve all had a good new year and that you have a great 2015!

“ _She has it,_ ” Eric told Charlotte psychically, dropping a direction to look in her mind. It took her a minute to pick out the target human among the masses thronging the streets of the city below them, fairly consistently moving away from the seafront. Charlotte was pretty good at picking out lost individual humans in the wilderness by their body heat, but when too many were in the same place they tended to all look the same to her. It was lucky this one was wearing a bright purple jacket and flying about on the same fluffy white Pokémon that Saylee had been flying on.

“Hey! Lady!” Charlotte called, swooping low over the crowd and ignoring a spate of frightened screams. The extreme weather hadn’t reached this city yet, but thunder, lightning and rain rumbled on the horizon. Huge waves crashed against the south end of the city and the ground occasionally shook to random quakes, making everyone frightened and on edge.

“Yeah?” the girl said, looking up. “Oh my god! A Charizard! What are you doing all the way out _here_?”

“ _Looking for you and the Green Orb_ ,” Eric informed her psychically. “ _We are here on behalf of Sar Kanto_. _I am Eric, and this is Charlotte._ ”

“ _Sei and Aria_ ,” the human thought back, indicating her Pokémon. Eric picked up the species name _Altaria_ as an undercurrent to the introduction. “ _Is Sar Kanto here? I was told to deliver this to her ASAP._ ”

“ _She’s a little busy in Sootopolis City right now,_ ” Eric said, offering up an image of the crashing waves and crumbling buildings to convey a good idea of what was going on. “ _But she told me who we do have to deliver that to. Quickly. We haven’t much time._ ”

“ _I hope he’s close,_ ” Sei thought, although it seemed to be herself rather than Eric. “ _Been flying for nearly twelve hours straight and I’m_ freezing _…”_

Eric started trying to sense out the boy that Saylee had shown him. It wasn’t hard; as soon as he was looking for it, he realized that the boy was throwing out a huge psychic signal, resonating with the pulse of panic and chaos on the air.

He communicated a general direction to Charlotte and Aria, and they began to fly further west, out of the city and over the wilderness, where panicked Pokémon were running every which way as the ground shook.

Rustboro City, when they reached it, was even more jam-packed with refugees than Slateport. Nobody seemed to really know where to go; there were shouts to get underground, to get upstairs, to get to open ground away from buildings. Police officers, rangers and a couple of people who looked like gym leaders were trying to keep people under control, but there were too many people and too much panic.

“Hey, it’s doing something!” Sei shouted. Eric and Charlotte looked around to see her pull the round green orb out of her bag. It was pulsing and letting off intermittent flashes of light like a heartbeat. The flashes grew brighter as they approached the hospital. “The person we need’s in the hospital? If they’re hurt, how badly are we screwed?”

“ _He might not be hurt,_ ” Eric said, remembering the pale visage of the boy in Saylee’s mental image. “ _He might be… very sensitive to impurities in the air. Just sick. But I’m sure he’ll be at a window right now._ ”

“What about that one?” Aria said, flying up the side of the hospital. “I see a window open there!”

At the open window was a pale, slight human boy who was staring intently at the eastern horizon, coughing into his hand. There were screams from below as another earthquake rocked the city, but he stared directly at Charlotte, Eric, Aria and Sei.

“Wally,” Eric called. “That is your name, is it not?”

“Uh-huh,” the boy said, coughing and pointing at the Jade Orb. “What… is that?”

“This?” Sei said, holding out the Jade Orb. “Wait, is this the person I’m supposed to give this to? This is a little kid!”

“ _I’ve seen boys like you before,_ ” Eric said for Wally and Wally alone. “ _With powers that nearly tore them apart. But aside from getting a little sick, it seems to have been easy for you._ ”

Wally hesitated. “Before… at Sky Pillar… ever since then, I’ve been really ill.” He coughed again, clutching his chest. “Will it… get worse? If I take that?” He gestured at the Orb.

“ _I don’t know,_ ” Eric admitted. “ _Maybe. There’s a LOT of power in there that belongs to you. Do you think you need it?_ ”

“Will he be able to save Lee?” Charlotte asked impatiently. “That weather looks like it’s getting worse and worse…”

Eric, too, kept looking nervously back in the direction of Sootopolis. “I’m sure Perun will see that she’s alright,” he said uncertainly. “Still… I hope Miss Saylee and that Key girl can hold out. I’d rather not lose another trainer.”

“Saylee? Key and Saylee are there?” Wally said with concern. He looked back into the hospital room. “Ralph… what do you think I should do?”

A Kirlia hopped up and sat on the windowsill next to him. “This is your decision to make,” he said softly. “That power belongs to you.”

“Yeah, but you know _your_ opinion matters more than anything to me,” Wally insisted. “Do you think I should do it?”

Ralph looked out at the massive storm clouds. “If you think you can,” he said, “then I think you should. If you think you need it.”

“I think I do,” Wally said, holding out his hand to Sei. “Miss… can I have that, please? I think I’ll be able to stop all this if I have that.”

“What are you talking about, kid?” Sei said, bewildered. “And do you mean Key Weaves? What’s going on?”

“You have to give that Orb to him!” Eric said, rounding on Sei as a jolt of panic shot up his spine. The chaos in the atmosphere was thickening palpably, and the horrible sensation was growing on him that things were going _wrong_ where Saylee was. _I already lost one trainer because I_ wasn’t there _when he needed help… I lost_ friends _..._. “There’s no time to explain! We’ve wasted too much time as it is! Please!”

Sei held the Orb out tentatively. Wally leaned out of the window, touching the smooth green surface.

There was a blast of light that sent Sei and Aria reeling back, the Orb gone from Sei’s hands. Wally staggered away from the window, arms clasped tightly around the Orb, holding it closely to his chest as it glowed so brightly that it turned white. Bright yellow lines snaked out around his body from his chest, which the Orb was sinking into. Charlotte felt her tail flare up as a blast of clean air blew out when Wally exhaled. Ralph’s eyes began to glow as he stared at his trainer.

“Don’t worry, Ralph,” Wally breathed. “I feel fine. Please, promise me you’ll stay here and protect my parents. They’re good people, to adopt me at my age with my health problems, and I love them. You make sure they’re safe, and I’ll make sure everyone else is, okay?”

Ralph nodded, staring raptly.

Wally stepped up onto the windowsill, then out of the window. Charlotte reached out to grab him, but he stepped past her and kept walking.

“What the—what just happened?! How is that kid _walking on air_?!” Sei gibbered.

“Rayquaza,” Eric breathed.

“What are you— _the_ Rayquaza, like—what’s going on?” Sei demanded.

“I don’t know, but that is _definitely_ Rayquaza,” Aria said, bowing her head to the god of the skies.

Eric did likewise. “I apologize if there should be some ceremony, Lord…” he began.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got more important things to worry about,” Wally said. His voice was deeper and more confident than it had been mere minutes ago. Charlotte and Aria managed to turn just in time to catch the strong gust of wind that carried Wally forth, towards Sootopolis.

{}

A searing blast of steam rose as a huge wave struck Groudon, simultaneous with Archie punching Marc hard enough in the face to send him reeling against the cliff wall. Archie froze for a second, twitching erratically, as Mary, Perun, Zac and Leslie launched a team effort to hit Kyogre with a massive bolt of lightning. Kalle tried to grab Marc and drag him to higher ground, but the older man pushed him aside with crazed strength and kicked Archie in the ribs. Kyogre howled as Groudon slammed boulders into her.

“Archie, wake up! ARCHIE!” Juan shouted sharply, grabbing the Aqua leader by the shoulders and shaking him. Archie and Marc both snarled and shoved Juan back, sending him flying over the barrier at the plateau edge and into the water. Juan resurfaced a minute later, clinging to his Kingdra’s back as the waves buffeted them. The waters were continuing to rise as Kyogre’s random bursts of torrential rain filled Sootopolis and Groudon’s earthquakes shook stone and houses into the water; the three lowest levels of the city were already submerged, and while the last trickle of civilians were almost clear, despite all efforts there were bodies floating in the water.

Archie and Marc’s battle had become fully synchronized with Groudon and Kyogre’s, and so Saylee, Key, Shelly, Matt, Kalle and Juan were struggling to separate the two insane men and move them to higher ground, but their strength and endurance had been increased as much as their sanity had been depleted and holding onto them for any length of time was impossible.

Archie threw Marc to the ground, and Kyogre submerged Groudon, but the man and Pokémon both rose to launch themselves at their foes.

“Oh, gods…” Key gasped, clinging tightly to Shikoba’s back.

“Yeah, that’s the problem… ack!” Shikoba squawked as a patch of torrential rainfall crossed them, heavy enough to force them down towards the roiling waves, water assaulting them from every direction.

“You sayin’ this is them at _low_ power?” Skye called to Saylee, who was trying to watch the battling titans and struggling madmen at the same time while desperately watching for Key and Shikoba to resurface.

Saylee’s pokégear buzzed. “How the hell am I still getting signal?” she asked as she picked it up.

“ _The miracles of modern technology,_ ” Steven said dryly. _“The guardians are climbing the walls of Sootopolis, Saylee, and when they reach the top they’re going to encase the city in a shield. Are the civilians out?_ ”

“Not all of them,” Saylee said, directing Skye down towards a semi-collapsed hotel. “And I think there’s people still trapped in the rubble.”

“ _Then you’re going to have to protect them, because there’s no way to stop the guardians raising the shield without turning them off entirely,_ ” Steven said, “ _and I’m not prepared to do that. Tsunamis are hitting every coastal town in Hoenn. I just got a call that Pacifidlog has sunk, casualties unconfirmed. This needs to be contained,_ now _.”_

“I understand,” Saylee said, getting Skye to start smashing windows of the collapsed building. Somebody screamed inside of a room when she did. She tucked the pokégear into her neck and yelled, “is someone there?! Can you move? I can take you to higher ground!” A pair of tearful-looking women started crawling across the steeply slanted floor towards her.

Saylee turned to check over her shoulder that a wave wasn’t about to hit them and saw Tobias fly past with Thomas and Oberon on his back. They fired a barrage of Razor and Magical leaves down on Groudon. Groudon and Marc both roared in agony as the entire city shook. Saylee managed to grab one woman’s hand as the hotel started falling again, slipping entirely into the water. Skye flew up and out of the way as Saylee clung desperately to the screaming woman’s hand, unable to look down and see if she’d managed to grab her friend or…

Skye flew back up to the highest level to deposit the lone, hysterically sobbing woman on safe ground. The sky overhead _flashed,_ and Saylee looked up as the rain and blazing sunlight both softened abruptly. A shimmering dome of white had covered Sootopolis; looking up, Saylee could glimpse figures standing around the rim of the crater that contained the city. There were at least a dozen of them—some dark grey, some brown, some pale blue. She put her pokégear back to her ear and noticed that Juan and Key had been patched back into the call, probably due to her own unresponsiveness.

“ _—don’t do it again,_ ” Steven was saying. “ _The worst of the weather effects can be contained, but Groudon’s tremors run deep underground. We can’t stop them, and they probably felt that one in Orre._ ”

“ _You mean we can’t attack Groudon without just doing more damage?_ ” Key groaned. Saylee saw Key and Shikoba flying towards Tobias to relay the news.

“Concentrate all attacks on Kyogre!” Saylee bellowed, pointing towards Topaz, who was on the far side of the crater, staying as aloft as she could with two electric-types and two Linoone on her back, and then pointing at Kyogre. Topaz carefully hovered closer as Zac, Leslie, Perun and Mary glowed with charging power.

“ _It would be nice to think we could stop them by knocking Marc and Archie out,_ ” Juan said, “ _but I just saw Marc crack Archie’s head against a rock—that moment where Groudon used a boulder as a club on Kyogre—and it hasn’t slowed him down. Even_ he’s _not that hardheaded._ ”

“Groudon and Kyogre are controlling them,” Saylee said, shivering as she watched the eerie, loose-limbed way that Marc and Archie attacked each other. “They’ll probably fight to the death, or even longer…”

The fourfold lightning bolt struck Kyogre again and again, as did hails of leaves, but it only slowed her down without stopping her, and Groudon—and Marc—kept coming, brutally attacking their foes and anyone who got in their way. Matt had already sustained a badly broken arm and a collection of shattered ribs in attempting to protect Archie from Marc, and Juan, Shelly and Kalle were all taking a lot of beating from trying to keep Marc and Archie apart. All the while, Sootopolis City continued to collapse. Some people had ignored the evacuation order, thinking that they could hide in their homes until the danger had passed, and some more unscrupulous members of the public had thought to try and lift something valuable from abandoned houses and shops, and now many of them were being swept away by waves or caught in collapsing buildings despite the best efforts of Saylee, Key and a few members of the police with flying Pokémon.

Saylee was flying a pair of terrified teenage looters that reminded her vividly of Ledah up to the top level when Tobias suddenly broke off the attack and flew towards her. “Lee!” he shouted. “I can hear Eric! They found him! They’re coming!”

“YES!” Saylee shrieked, hugging the startled teenagers.

“What the hell?!” one of them yelled, struggling out of Saylee’s arms as soon as Skye landed.

“Sorry,” Saylee said, letting them go so they could seek shelter. She picked up her pokégear again. “Steven, turn them off! Drop the shields! The cavalry is coming!”

“ _About time!_ ” Key screamed.

“ _I see them! Hold on…_ ” Steven said. The teenagers stumbled to the ground, falling over as a sudden rush of air from the opening of the shield buffeted Skye away. Saylee yelped and clung to Skye’s back. There were more screams at the rush of wind; fliers were flung up into the air, while Marc, Archie, Kalle, Shelly, Matt and Juan were all sent tumbling into the water.

The black clouds above them swirled and expanded, before suddenly splitting, accompanied by a shocking silence as Groudon and Kyogre stilled.

Everything calmed: the wind, the water, the shaking ground. Groudon and Kyogre stared silently upwards as the clouds faded to nothing and the sunlight weakened until it was soft and pleasantly warm. The sky glowed green.

Charlotte, with Eric on her back, swooped down towards Saylee and Skye, a black-haired girl on an Altaria following them. “Are you quite alright, Saylee?” Eric asked.

“Fine now,” Saylee said, looking to the girl. “Did you bring the Green Orb?”

“Is that _Kyogre_?” the girl said, ignoring Saylee and staring at the titanic gods with much more joy than Saylee felt anyone had any right to feel in the rubble of Sootopolis City.

 “Oh, hey Sei… Oh my god… is that _Wally_?” Key said in shock, pointing up into the sky. A figure was floating above them, glowing yellow-green.

“Fully empowered,” Saylee said softly. “I don’t know why Rayquaza’s powers were split, but… he seems to be handling it pretty well…”

A pillar of stone was rising out of the water with Archie and Marc kneeling on it, blank-faced and staring at Wally.

“Stop it,” Wally ordered. His voice resonated through the air, sounding to everyone as if he were speaking directly into their ears. “You stop that right now and go back to sleep.”

“But—” Groudon roared.

“We—” Kyogre called at the same time.

“GO!” Wally ordered. The word _cracked_ through the air.

Slowly, sullenly, Kyogre sank under the waves. A fissure cracked open in the rocks that Groudon was standing on, and she dropped into it. Marc and Archie collapsed, unconscious. Juan and his Pokémon started swimming through the gently rippling water towards them.

“Did that… just happen?” Sei said weakly, staring at the slowly calming water.

 “BRILLIANT, WALLY!” Key shrieked. “You’re AWESOME!”

 “Thanks,” Wally said softly, his voice still floating gently through the air like he was next to them rather than floating high above. “That wasn’t… as easy… as it looks…” the sky turned from green to blue as Wally sighed, then dropped out of the air.

“I have him!” Tobias cried, flying towards Wally. Thomas leapt off of the Togekiss’ back and caught Wally before landing neatly on Tobias’ back again. Saylee and Skye flew over to retrieve them.

“He just fell asleep?” Thomas complained, handing over the unconscious boy to Saylee.

“Bending the wills of Groudon and Kyogre to your own can’t be easy,” Tobias chuckled.

“Can ya believe this kid just saved Hoenn’s ass?” Oberon marvelled.

“We still need to arrest Marc and Archie,” Saylee said, looking around. “Where’d Matt, Shelly and Kalle go?”

“They jumped into the water and swam off,” Key reported, flying up to them. “Come quick, I think Juan might be in trouble!”

Someone had retrieved the submarine. Marc and Archie were both being dragged into it while Juan and his Kingdra faced down Archie’s huge old Sharpedo.

“Don’t make me biter yer fins off, Drickhead,” the Sharpedo snapped.

“I’d like to see you try, Shanks,” the Kingdra responded, spitting dragonfire. “And for the millionth time, my name is _Kendrick_.”

“Calm down, Kendrick,” Juan said sternly. “Shanks, let me take them back to the gym.”

“How ‘bout no?” Shanks snarled. “Sorry, brocean, but I _know_ how much trouble the kiddo’s gonna be in. We’re outta here.” Kendrick shot forwards as the submarine door closed and the sub began to sink. Shanks bit into Kendrick, but noticeably on the Kingdra’s armoured belly rather than his fragile fins.

“Dragonbreath!” Saylee ordered as soon as Skye had flown close enough. Skye and Topaz both swooped in, breathing blue fire at Shanks, who let Kendrick go and dived under the water. Kendrick and Juan dived after him.

“I think we’re gonna have to leave that chase to Juan,” Key opined.

Saylee nodded, shifting her grip on Wally as she looked up to see rescue workers flying in from above and spilling out of the half-crushed travel centre on the top level. At the top of the crater, the guardians were all long gone, and Steven was nowhere to be seen.

“C’mon,” she sighed. Her side was starting to ache again, and she felt terribly tired. “Let’s find somewhere safe for Wally, then get to work on helping the rescue and cleanup.”


	35. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 20   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

“Key? KEY!”

“Who’s that?” Saylee asked, staring as Key shrieked and started demanding that Shikoba fly down to the white-clad figure that had surfaced below them so she could glomp him. The man was shouting and waving to Key while clinging to one of the most beautiful and colourful Pokémon that Saylee had ever seen, with a long body like an Arbok but patterned like a stained-glass window in yellow, pink and lavender.

“Wallace!” Key cried, actually jumping off of Shikoba’s back as she hugged Wallace around the neck. The significantly taller man caught her and hugged her back easily. “Wallace, what are you doing here? Oh, wait, dumb question…”

“Yes, officially I am here to find out what the hell is going on,” Wallace sighed. He was wearing a flowing white cloak over a white jumpsuit that could only be described as _skimpy_ and had curly teal hair spilling out from under his white cap.

“We’ve been swimming through the underwater tunnels for ages,” his beautiful Pokémon huffed. “It seems as if we’ve missed most of it…”

“Don’t worry, darlin’, you’re here in time for the best part; meeting _me_ ,” Shikoba said, fluffing his display feathers. Key patted them down as she climbed back onto his back.

“Where’s Juan?” Wallace asked, looking around.

“Chasing after Marc and Archie… the Magma and Aqua leaders,” Key explained, pointing into the water. “They went under a while ago.”

“Into the labyrinth? We’ll never catch up to them!” Wallace’s Pokémon complained.

“No…” Wallace looked up at Saylee and smiled. “Key, won’t you introduce me to your charming friends?”

“Ooops, sorry,” Key giggled. “This is Shikoba, and carrying Wally is Sar Saylee of Kanto and Skye, and that’s Tobias, Thomas and Oberon, and that’s Eric, Charlotte and… oh, Sei! SEI! She’s kinda in shock because she just saw Kyogre…”

“Huh? Oh…” Sei seemed to shake herself back to reality, then shrieked. “WALLACE? When did _you_ get here?” She immediately dove in to hug him.

“Good to see you too,” Wallace laughed.

“Everyone, this is Sir Wallace, Champion of Hoenn and his Milotic, Mael,” Key explained for everyone else’s benefit. “He used to live at dad’s until he was adopted by Juan. He still visits a bit.”

“Ah, so that’s how you know each other,” Saylee said. “Pleasure to meet you, Sir.”

“Likewise, Sar,” Wallace replied, bowing in synch with Mael as Sei climbed back onto her Altaria’s back, wibbling quietly about Kyogre. “Is Wally alright? I can imagine that realizing Rayquaza’s full power has taken a lot out of him…”

“Wha—how’d you know?” Key asked in surprise.

“We heard his voice even underwater,” Wallace said with a smile and a wink, “but also… reasons.”

Saylee squinted suspiciously at Wallace, then slowly tipped down her glasses and squinted suspiciously over them.

“Huh,” she said. “Who are _you_?”

Wallace’s smile just widened. “It looks like the gym’s stormproofing was well worth the exorbitant amount of money Juan paid,” he said, gesturing to an archipelago hosting a squat stone building that was surfacing as the water level dropped, having avoided being utterly crushed somehow during the battle. “Shall we take Wally there to rest and swap secrets?”

{}

“This used to be my room,” Wallace whispered, tucking the pale blue wave-patterned bedsheet around a soundly sleeping Wally. Saylee glanced around the room. It was a mess, the contents thrown around by the earthquake, but it was still easy to tell that teal and various other blues and greens were a popular theme. Several broken and merely chipped ornaments made of seashells and glassy fragments lay strewn across the floor. From the look of the chunks of glue exposed by the broken parts, they were all handmade. An extremely careworn stuffed Blastoise lay among the shattered pieces of a mercifully empty glass tank. Still stuck fast to the wall were various photos and giffies of Wallace as a child, sometimes with a much younger-looking Juan, a couple with kids that looked like school friends, and a dozen featuring a pretty girl with long lavender hair.

“Juan adopted Wallace, and Wallace took over this gym for a while before being Champion,” Key explained quietly, helping to pick some things up. Key, Saylee and Wallace straightened up the room, removing the glass and broken pieces from the floor, before stepping back out into the hall.

“Tea?” Wallace offered. “The rescue teams have everything in hand for now, we need to talk, and Juan keeps some very fine blends well-stocked.”

“Sounds good,” Saylee said, clutching her side as she waited for Wallace to straighten up a collapsed hall table and sweep the fragments of a broken vase out of the way. The house was richly decorated, but almost everything had been thrown to the ground and broken. “The adrenaline’s wearing off ,and I need something to take more painkillers with anyway…” She looked around as Wallace led them down the hall to a small living room. Almost all of the furniture was lying on its back or side, but one of the sofas was still upright, and Saylee gingerly sat on that. “Where’d Sei go?”

“She buggered aff a whiles back,” Mary said, pushing the other sofa upright. “When they were callin’ fae volunteers fae rescue jobs.” Most of Saylee and Key’s Pokémon were helping to clear rubble and rescue trapped or injured people and Pokémon, but Mary, Perun and Oberon—by virtue of not being able to fly, swim, lift whole boulders or smell out trapped people—were in the gym with them, keeping guard in case Team Aqua or Magma resurfaced. Saylee didn’t expect them to, but she also hadn’t expected Wallace, Champion of Hoenn, to be an avatar.

Knowing what to look for, it was easy to spot. The man was very much _like_ Wally, in some indefinable way, and had a faint blue aura when Saylee looked at him out of the corner of her eye or through her usual fuzzed eyesight. It hadn’t been a surprise, more of an “oh, of course”. Saylee was starting to wonder how much she knew that she didn’t know that she knew, and if there was any way to make a bulletin appear on her pokégear or something. It would probably save a lot of trouble.

“So what are you?” she asked bluntly, picking up a Clamperl-shaped pillow from the ground and leaning back on it while Wallace helped Mary shove the third royal-blue sofa back into place. “Which god? I can’t tell which, but I’m sure you _are_ one.”

“Yes… you’re a guardian, aren’t you?” Wallace said with a smile. “Key, darling, you certainly make interesting friends.”

“Apparently,” Key said, sitting down on one of the couches and staring at Wallace. “So? What are you? How long have you been one? Why didn’t you tell me? That’s so cool!”

“Hmm… since I was twelve,” Wallace said, stepping up to a beautiful wooden sideboard with a carving of a Milotic on it. The carving was inset with gemstones in the pattern of the Milotic’s tail, although they were blue and pink, unlike Mael. Wallace crouched to scoop up shattered fragments of a few teacups, setting them on the sideboard and returning the rest of the tea things and a few ornaments to an upright position. “Just after Juan adopted me. I’d been playing in the sea with the Pokémon in question since I was a very small child. It was Juan who recognized that we were meant to be one, one day.” He picked up a tray of tea things and walking through an archway to a small kitchenette. It was an utter mess, but Wallace managed to tiptoe around most of it to fill the kettle and locate tea leaves. Oberon followed him, sweeping up some of the mess on the floor with his leaf skirt.

“Aye, but whit wan _is_ it?” Mary said impatiently. “Dinnae beat aroon the bush, you can tell us. Lee’s brer’s an avatar too, ye ken?”

“Half-brother,” Perun corrected her mildly.

“And I feel like we should be much more careful with that information,” Saylee muttered.

“Is that so?” Wallace laughed, looking over his shoulder at Saylee. “You’re very like Juan. Very well. I am Manaphy. Not as impressive as Kyogre, I know. I can’t control the waves, but all ocean life will respond to my call. They told me where Kyogre was. I had intended to keep a closer eye on her, but the regular duties of being a Champion are time-consuming… here we go.” He brought back the tray, now with a small bowl of sugar and a pot of milk next to three teacups and the kettle, which was now producing a good deal of fragrant steam. “Are any of your Pokémon partial to a cup?”

“Naw, thanks,” Mary said. Perun shook his head.

“Kinna cannibalistic for my tastes, y’know what I’m sayin’?” Oberon said, twirling back towards them.

“Fair enough,” Saylee said, holding her own cup still for Wallace to pour tea into and then reaching for the milk jug. “Thank you. So, Juan’s like me? Able to sense…” she gestured to Wallace with the milk jug before pouring herself some.

“His younger brother is an avatar too, which is likely why he’s a guardian,” Wallace explained, cape swishing as he sat down on the couch opposite Saylee, Key and the Orbs. “And by that I don’t mean me, although Juan had indeed always been more of an older brother to me than an adoptive father. His flesh-and-blood brother is Kyogre.”

“ _Archie_?!” Key said in surprise. Her teacup slipped out of her hand and clattered onto the table, spilling tea everywhere. “Agh! Sorry!”

“Hey, watch it!” Oberon yelped, ducking away from the boiling spillage and hopping up onto Saylee’s lap.

“Don’t worry about it,” Wallace said, reaching under the coffee table and producing a tea-stained towel that had clearly been placed there against this very eventually. “You know, I think Juan put this here when I first became an avatar… I was very clumsy on land for a long time. I only felt happy or had any co-ordination under water. I still feel happier in water, or Manaphy does, at any rate.”

“Isn’t Archie one of those nutters that were trying to punch each other out while the big guys were fighting?” Perun asked. Saylee, who had already taken two painkillers out of her medbag and was about to put it away, paused and then withdrew a third with a sigh.

“His brother’s a _gym_ _leader_?” Key said in surprise. “What happened to _him_?”

“It’s all to do with his… their father, isn’t it?” Saylee said quietly before swallowing the first pill with a mouthful of tea. “Archie and Shelly say Marc killed him… but Marc said there was more than that to it. Do you know what really happened? What happened at all?”

Wallace frowned, not looking up from mopping up the tea. “Juan and Archie’s family history is fraught with tragedy, and large parts of it are known only to themselves,” he murmured. “What I do know is that it’s all tied up in their father, Adrian, and his relationship with Marc, and their work in Kanto before they fled the war and came here.”

“Mother’s death was a large part of it too, as it happens.”

“Welcome home, Juan,” Wallace said, lighting up as he spotted his adoptive father/brother walking into the room. Saylee and Key turned around to see the Sootopolis leader towelling off his hair, although his elegant blue-and-purple clothes seemed to be waterproof. He had greying streaks in his hair and a small, neat moustache, but to look at him up close he did resemble Archie in the line of his jaw and the colour of his eyes.

“Did you find them?” Key asked.

Juan shook his head. “The submarine went deeper than even Kendrick could safely dive, alas,” he said morosely. “They have escaped for now… Given that we seem to be laying it all on the table here, I don’t mind saying that I can always hold out hope that one or the other of them will take it into their heads to hide here.”

“I’m sorry, Juan, but they’re very involved,” Wallace said, adopting an expression somewhat akin to a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. “And Sar Saylee here is a guardian such as yourself. Her brother is an avatar too.”

“Half-brother,” Perun corrected again.

“Would ye stop bein’ a bawbag aboot that?” Mary hissed at him.

“Red was her brother,” Perun said stubbornly. “He mattered too, even if he wasn’t some fancy-pants god.”

“Red meant the world to me,” Saylee reassured Perun, nudging Oberon off of her lap so she could give Perun a hug. “But Silver is important to me as well. But right now, we’re not here to talk about _my_ brothers.” She looked up at Juan. “Although if you don’t want to talk about your family history, trust me, I _completely_ understand.”

“No, not at all,” Juan said, going to the sideboard to locate an unbroken cup for himself and picking out some tea leaves.

“Juan makes the best tea,” Wallace said proudly, elegant demeanour turned to that of a happy child in Juan’s presence. “He prepares the tea leaves according to old Kanto tradition, or so he says.”

“I couldn’t comment. Tradition in my neck of the woods was to boil everything and only drink what turned the water _brown_ ,” Saylee said with a shrug. “I’ve never met anyone who lived in Kanto before it all blew up and got out before. But your dad did, right?”

“Oh, plenty of people fled, although most were going to Johto,” Juan explained, going to the kitchen to boil himself some water. “Good grief, I am going to have to buy a _lot_ of new dishware… I suppose those who went to Johto no longer recall where they were from. By the time we got out, Johto had stopped accepting refugees. I think ours was the last boat out. We struck out for Hoenn instead. When we arrived, we heard Pokémon speak for the first time, and for a while I thought that was just what Hoenn was like until we talked to some people and found out it was new to them too…” he chuckled as he returned from the kitchen with a steaming cup of tea. “It was a good distraction, at least, from thinking about what we’d left behind. I’m sure Father and some of the other adult refugees must have been interviewed, because the events of the civil war are in fact on public record, and a powerful argument for almost every reform in the rights of Pokémon made in the past twenty years.”

“That’s… good to know,” Saylee said quietly. “So, you and Archie were kids when you left?”

“I was thirteen, Archie was six,” Juan said, staring into his tea. “Father had been packing us all up to leave, but Mother’s death put the tin lid on it. Perhaps if we’d left sooner… but what’s past is past.”

“How did…?” Key began. Saylee bit her lip, having been able to clearly imagine a thousand and one horrible ways that Juan and Archie’s mother could have died and not wishing to dwell on any of them. She swallowed her other two painkillers in one.

“Wildfire,” Juan said shortly. “Archie was still young enough that we’d been able to keep him innocent to the worst of what was going on around us, but as a result, Mother’s death was one of the first times he’d had to really face death. He was terrified, and became very desperately attached to Father and myself, perhaps fearing that we, too, would die and leave him…”

“And you?” Saylee asked. “Weren’t you frightened?”

“I grew up in Kanto during the civil war, I was always terrified,” Juan said with a very affected lightness, smiling at Saylee and Key. Wallace sighed sadly. “I’d already had to deal with the deaths of some school friends… it was something that I was aware could happen, not that that made it hurt any less. But I was also old enough to see how much her death devastated Father. He grew grey hairs overnight. He was determined to not show his upset and be strong for our sake, but that just made me feel all the more as if I should be strong myself, to help him look after Archie and ease the burden while he kept working at… ‘the war effort’ was what he called his job, at the time.”

“Big brothers are like that,” Saylee said softly, hugging Perun again. “And it’s always appreciated.”

Juan smiled, a little more genuinely this time. “And that, in turn, coloured how we handled Father’s death… but in between that, of course, Team Aqua happened.”

“Was it always a criminal organization?” Saylee asked.

“Oh, goodness, no,” Wallace said, shaking his head. “Team Aqua’s facade over the past ten years was what the previous Team Aqua’s original goal had been—studying water samples, preserving river and ocean-life, launching campaigns to encourage the populace to keep the waters clean... though supposedly a lot of people viewed the first leader’s actions and beliefs as somewhat ‘extreme’ and took a slightly bigger liking to Archie instead. Not that anyone could blame Adrian for his extremism, really, given what had happened in Kanto… but Archie, while determined to follow in his father’s footsteps, was better at putting on a less evangelical public face, possibly as a natural extension of having to hide his true intentions anyway.”

“His criminal intentions,” Saylee said. “How much did you know about Team Aqua?”

“Beyond a few details that happened nearly ten years ago, only as much as they were willing to share with the public, I’m afraid,” Juan replied morosely. “Despite regularly seeking political aid from the other gym leaders or the elites, Archie always found the means to keep Wallace and I at a careful distance. I’ve exchanged a few rare phone calls with him in order to keep myself informed about his well-being, but aside from those I’ve had very little contact with him. I was never given the chance to offer him my counselling... or my apologies.”

“What do you mean?” Key asked.

Juan opened his mouth to reply, but he paused, hesitating slightly. Wallace took over instead. “I believe I’ve said this, but Adrian and Marc were once very close friends,” he explained, “and in fact, Magma was created at the same time as Aqua for similar reasons. Aqua and Magma used to work as a pair, back then. One cared for the sea, the other for the land, and together they could protect everything that allowed humans and Pokémon alike to live. You’ve probably heard how close Adrian and Marc were, so planning things together and helping each other out was easy for them.”

“Until Adrian died...” Saylee finished for him.

“Death is never easy, but Father’s loss was especially hard on Archie,” Juan said quietly, staring morosely into his tea. “Father meant the world to Archie, but all of that vanished when...” Juan shook his head. “I don’t know if there’s any word to describe how crushed Archie was. He... came to me for comfort and support, but I turned him away instead.”

“Juan, that’s not how it went and you know it,” Wallace said firmly, before turning to Saylee again. “When Adrian died, I was also extremely sick at the time. I had just ascended, and…”

“Yeah, I’ve seen how rough that is on kids and adults alike,” Saylee said with a wince.

“I could barely speak or move from my bed, had major breathing issues, and spent a lot of time being overall unconscious or in pain,” Wallace continued. “Juan thought I was going to die.”

“How come I never heard about that?” Key asked, a little crestfallen. “Dad always likes to know how the kids he’s looked after are getting on. There’s no way he wouldn’t take us all to come visit you if you were ill…”

“I personally requested for Norman not to tell anyone at the orphanage,” Wallace admitted with a guilty smile. “You especially, since I imagined that you were still dealing with Raphael and didn’t want to drop more worry on you...”

“Oh, yeah…” Key said, clenching her teacup when Raphael was mentioned. “I’m glad you pulled through.”

“Did Archie know anything?” Saylee asked.

“He knew that Wallace’s health was in a very delicate situation at the time,” Juan replied, casting hesitant glances toward Saylee and Key, “although by the end of the first month I admittedly tried to make his illness sound less dangerous than it still had been, which led him to being unaware of certain aspects that were still a rather large cause for worry… basically, I had not told him of exactly what had happened to Wallace, and in the furore over Father’s death I ended up never doing so. But as a result, to him, my reasoning may have seemed more baseless than what it really was.”

“Juan’s first main argument was that ‘inheriting’ Team Aqua was too big of a responsibility to simply take on without thinking it over first and taking his other responsibilities into account,” Wallace continued. “Trying to pile Aqua on top of his gym leader duties and the fact that my health was still relatively unstable was—”

“Wait wait wait, back up,” Saylee interrupted. “ _You_ were asked to become the leader of Aqua first?”

Juan nodded. “To him, picking up Aqua where our father had left it was the only method of confrontation we had in regards to Marc. I believe that... offering the position to me was Archie’s way of requesting my support and assuring himself that I would stand by him in times when he needed it most.” Juan gave a dejected sigh. “The result is that I failed as an elder brother and that Archie’s teenage stubbornness made him drop out of school and take Aqua upon himself instead, assuming that I had let him down in favour of a boy that I was not blood related to.”

“Archie was really determined to get revenge on Marc, wasn’t he...?” Key muttered sadly.

“But doesn’t he know that Marc would never kill Adrian?” Wally said faintly.

“Wean! You’re up!” Mary said, hurrying over to support Wally as he staggered into the room. “Whit was that?”

“What do you mean, Marc would never kill Adrian?” Wallace asked. “You never knew them, how did—”

“Rayquaza knew them,” Wally said weakly as Mary helped him over to the couch. “And that wasn’t why they were chosen. They were chosen because they would never hurt each other, let alone kill each other. They were chosen to end the fighting. Adrian’s death shouldn’t have… it made it all go wrong…”

“No kidding,” Wallace muttered into his teacup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand that was the huge backstory infodump XD Also yes, I put Wallace in his ORAS outfit… no power on this earth could make me not do that.


	36. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee  
> Pokémon: 20  
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key  
> Pokémon: 29  
> Deaths: 2

“This brew will help give you strength,” Juan said, gently handing a large mug full of tea to Wally. “It did wonders for Wallace.”

“Thank you,” Wally said quietly, sipping his tea.

“You may be right that Marc did not deliberately kill Father,” Juan continued. “Marc and Father were surveying a volcano together, and there was a collapse that buried Father. Archie claims that Marc came out of the cave laughing, which in his overwhelming grief drove him to the belief that Marc murdered Father. As I understand it, Marc spent some time in a psychiatric ward afterwards, however… not something that is really a matter of public record, of course, but as a gym leader I have my sources. Marc has not always been a necessarily stable individual, and Father’s sudden death could well have been as traumatic for him as it was for Archie. By the time I’d discovered Marc’s hospitalization, however, I was well out of touch with Archie, and he would take no convincing that Marc was not to blame in any case.”

“Marc wouldn’t,” Wally said insistently. “Rayquaza told me she chose him and Adrian because they were so close. She’s never let Kyogre and Groudon choose their own avatars, not since suggestions of avatarization started spreading among the gods. When Adrian died, she chose Archie because his spirit was most like Adrian’s, but…”

“But he swore revenge on Marc, huh?” Perun said. “Is that the whole reason for all this Aqua-Magma fuss?”

Wallace shook his head. “I don’t doubt that ‘revenge’ might’ve been one of the things that drove him, but that wasn’t the only reason he made Magma’s downfall his personal goal.” He turned to look at Juan. “What was it that he said about the police again? That they couldn’t be trusted?”

“No, it was the quite opposite,” Juan replied. “More accurately, Archie claimed that ‘the police would never believe him or take him seriously if he shared the full story’. From what I could guess at the time, Archie had found some documents in our father’s Aqua office pertaining to some of the more ‘secret’ goals that Magma had, but he never gave any details on what these goals aimed for. However, looking back at it after recent events...”

“You think Archie knew about Marc’s plan to awaken Groudon all along, right?” Wally asked, leaning forward a little in order to look at Juan. “Until what happened not too long ago, I don’t think _anyone_ would’ve taken him seriously, so he was probably right in thinking that the police would’ve probably just shooed him away and told him that they have more important cases to take care of.”

“A murder is still a murder, and whether gods were involved or not, Archie could’ve easily had them going after Marc for that at least,” Saylee pointed out in a slightly bitter tone, crossing her arms. “Whether or not Marc killed Adrian, if Archie believed that he did and wanted him punished, Hoenn has perfectly legal channels for him to use. He could’ve insisted that the police investigate it as a potential murder rather than let them think it was just an accident.”

“Well, now the police get to go after the both of them instead,” Wally said, a little sullenly.

“You don’t sound very happy about it,” Wallace noticed. “Juan and I are extremely concerned about Archie for obvious reasons, but what about you?”

Wally frowned, staring at his knees. “I don’t...know how to explain it,” he started uncertainly. “I feel kinda... I dunno... responsible...?”

“Kyogre and Groudon have always been Rayquaza’s responsibility, according to all the stories about them,” Key said, “so I guess it makes sense that they feel like your responsibility too.”

“You said Rayquaza chooses Groudon an’ Kyogre’s avatars, aye?” Mary ask. “Can ye no’ pick new yins? Wans that arenae wanted criminals, ken?”

Wally shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he said somewhat uncertainly. “I don’t think new ones can be picked until Marc and Archie die…”

“Which, for preference, will not be any time soon,” Juan said firmly. “We must speak to both of them while they are sane and healthy and relatively calm to discern the truth of all that has passed between Magma and Aqua since Father’s death.”

“They’re both in a sub together somewhere, and it’s a submarine that can go deeper than even most Pokémon can go,” Saylee sighed. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll clear things up instead of killing each other, but in the end they’ll only be found when they decide to surface. Until then, there are thousands of injuries and casualties that need dealt with, cities that need rebuilt and plenty of Aqua and Magma foot soldiers who need arrested and processed. Thanks for the tea, but I’m going to go out and help deal with things.” She stood up, trying not to sway.

“As should I,” Wallace said, standing up. “I am the Champion, after all. I have responsibilities.” He put a hand on Wally’s shoulder. “Rest here, young one. You have saved a great many lives by stopping Groudon and Kyogre’s battle. You need a rest.”

“We should prob’ly find oot whit happened tae that Steven, tae,” Mary pointed out. “Whit the bloody hell’d he _do_ , anyway?”

“If we see him, we’ll ask,” Key suggested. “What happened when you were underground with him, Saylee?”

“Well, when I woke up, I was alone with Shelly…” Saylee began, walking back down the hall.

{}

“Current estimate is eight thousand dead across the nation with well over five hundred thousand injured,” Saylee groaned into her phone as she curled up next to Nadia’s side. She and her Pokémon had elected to sleep on the roof of the gym in order to keep watch; Saylee was feeling edgy and paranoid about Wally being there overnight. _I don’t know how much use I’ll be with my whole body aching, but at least a Camerupt makes a good heating pad…_ “The majority of them died in ships that were sunk or when Pacifidlog went down, but buildings have collapsed everywhere from the earthquakes, and Sootopolis in particular… Tsunamis hit Mossdeep and Lilycove, too. That number is padded a bit by the missing-presumed-dead, but…”

“ _Fucking hell…_ ” Blue muttered. “ _That’s… fuck. Those Aqua and Magma fuckers better be getting the full rap for this shit. This wasn’t just a natural disaster, after all. They set this shit off by waking those titans.”_

“Yeah, there’s no way in hell they’re ever getting anywhere near those gods again if I have anything to do with it,” Saylee declared. “I’m worried about the fact that they still have the Orbs, but even _they_ can’t be stupid enough to try and use them again…”

“ _Never underestimate how stupid people can be. As soon as regular ships are running out there, I’m coming out to join you and help out if I can. Right now, with about six major criminals loose in a submarine and Pallet being both a seafront town and in my jurisdiction…_ ”

“I understand,” Saylee assured him. “I just…” she sighed heavily, flopping back. “I feel like I failed every step of the way here. I tried to stop them stealing the Orbs, failed and got Polly killed. I went to stop Marc from awaking Groudon, failed and got Teddy killed too. I went to stop Archie waking Kyogre and failed there too, and as a result nearly ten thousand people and Pokémon are dead…”

“Really, Saylee, dear, you did everything you could,” Molly chastised her.

“And what if we hadn’t stopped them at the Museum before, huh?” Zac asked. “They would’ve stolen the submarine much sooner and done all of this sooner, when we were weaker and couldn’t have stopped ‘em!”

“An’ what about when Marc was trippin’ out and tryin’ to blow up the space centre, huh?” Sanborn added. “We sure fucked that shit up for ‘im!”

“It could’ve been so much worse, couldn’t it, darlin’?” Skye said, snuggling her wings around Saylee. “We made sure it weren’t. Be proud of that.”

“I’m sure your buddies what got iced are real prouda yous for avengin’ ‘em and takin’ down them criminals,” Oberon reassured her. “I mean, we still gotta catch ‘em, but…”

“We will,” Eric said firmly. “They’ll turn up sooner or later. Until then, we can just keep repairing the damage that’s been done.”

“Awww, ceez… there’s so _much_ that needs done,” Perun groaned, looking up at the half-ruined city of Sootopolis.

“Just keep doing it and eventually it’ll be done,” Nadia said placidly.

“ _You’ve got some hella good Pokémon there with you,_ ” Blue said. “ _Hey, you lot, I’m counting on you all to look after her for me, got it? And somebody give her a hug from me, she needs one._ ”

“Covered!” Zac cried, wrapping around Saylee. Saylee giggled and hugged him back.

“Thanks, Zac,” she sighed. “I’ll talk to you again soon, Blue. I’d better get some sleep… I just wanted to let you know I’m alive and as alright as I ever am.”

“ _That bad, huh? I love you anyway. Get some rest, you idiot._ ”

“Love you too, jerk,” Saylee said, blowing a kiss into the phone and hanging up. “Hey, has anyone seen Toby and Mary?”

“Mary is on her way with Charlotte right now,” Tobias said, swooping out of the darkness with Key on his back. “She and I are going on first patrol. We’ll come back and swap with Charlotte and Eric in a couple of hours.” He perched, allowing Key down onto the roof.

“Thought we’d join you,” Key said, releasing her Pokémon. “It’s not like it’s cold, after all…” she shivered as she watched a boat go slowly by, sweeping the water with a searchlight. A large red Pokémon that reminded Saylee of a Kingler, though the claws were in the wrong place, surfaced and lifted something limp up into the boat. “Just pretty eerie.”

Saylee could feel how heavy her eyes were. “We need to get sleep so as soon as it’s light we can get out there and help with the restoration work,” she murmured, closing her eyes and leaning into Nadia’s side.

“…Good plan,” Key said with a yawn, joining her.

“Good night, Lee,” Tobias said softly. “We’ll wake you if anything happens. Eric, we’ll wake you when Mary and I finish our patrol…”

“Hey, Saylee?” Key whispered. “Why do Toby and your other older Pokémon call you Lee?”

“Just a nickname,” Saylee murmured. “When Toby was born and learning to talk, he called me Lee. It kinda stuck later as a nickname when I was looking for Team Rocket in Johto, when I was using a false name to make it harder for them to notice me. Lyra. Lee still worked as a nickname. Nobody human calls me it.”

“It’s a good nickname,” Key said, her voice trailing off sleepily. “G’night, Lee…”

Saylee smiled. “Goodnight, Key.”

{}

_“The readings for this chamber look stable,” Marc explained as they descended into the tunnel, “but much more stable than they should be for a chamber containing a magma pool this size…” Adrian reflexively straightened his heatsuit._

_“Only someone as obsessive as you would actually_ enjoy _wandering around in these places,_ ” _Adrian huffed. “And frankly it worries me that you’re trying to convince me to go somewhere that you’re thinking isn’t as stable as it looks.”_

 _“Nonono, it’s stable,” Marc reassured him. “But it_ shouldn’t _be. Scientifically, it seems impossible. Which means something in there is defying the regular laws of physics concerning volcanoes.”_

_“Again, I’m worried about putting ‘defying the laws of physics’ and ‘volcanoes’ in the same context,” Adrian said as Marc led him down a steeply descending path. “You see why I wanted Archie and his friends to wait outside?”_

_“…not really, it’s stable,” Marc insisted. “It’d be educational for them.”_

_“Marc, I know where you’re going with this,” Adrian said, noticing that the tunnel ahead of them glowed. They must be nearing the magma chamber._

_“I’m going to a magma chamber,” Marc said, looking slightly annoyed at having to state the obvious._

_“No, I mean… you think you’ve found it, right?” Adrian pressed, lowering his voice even though there wasn’t another living thing in the tunnel with them. There weren’t even any wild Pokémon down here, which was as telling as anything else, though Marc probably hadn’t noticed. “Groudon. If we’ve found it…”_

_“Seventy percent of the planet is water, Adrian,” Marc said. “People and Pokémon both need more space. New land. Clean land without poisons and pollution sunk into the soil. Properly controlled, Groudon could even cleanse and enrich the topsoil of the planet…” He stopped, wringing his hands a little. “The water around Kanto is still too corrosive to sail into, in a radius too large to fly over. We could build a land bridge, find out what happened to… everyone. Anyone._ ”

_He started scurrying forwards again, into the chamber._

_Adrian thought that the chamber was far too small when they first stepped into it, until he realized that the floor dropped off ahead of him and that the bulk of the chamber was below their feet. He edged over, looking down and instantly jerking back when he saw the vast pool of boiling magma below._

_“The heat updraft won’t hurt you. That’s what the heatsuits are for,” Marc said, lying flat on the floor and peering out over the edge. Thanks to the masks Adrian couldn’t see his face, but he could imagine the way the younger man’s eyes were glowing. Marc wasn’t very expressive, or at least didn’t look it unless you knew him very, very well. “Look at the size of that. Active and bubbling too. Yet this volcano hasn’t gone off for three thousand years. Why?”_

_“Don’t these things get more dangerous the longer they go without erupting?” Archie asked. “What if it erupts when you wake Groudon, if that is what’s down there? What if erupting is what’s needed to wake it?”_

_“All I need is its DNA,” Marc said, getting back to his feet. “Just a sample’s all I need to work from. I’m sure it’s down there, Adrian. I can feel it.”_

_Adrian felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck, as if a cold wind had brushed him in the middle of the volcano. He grabbed Marc’s arm and started dragging him back up the path._

_“Adrian, what are you doing?” Marc asked, sounding confused. “What’s wrong?”_

_“You just said that you’re sure that Groudon is down there because you had a feeling about it,” Adrian pointed out. “You have never said anything like that in your life. The first time I told you I had a gut feeling about something, you asked if I had a stomach upset and needed to call a doctor.”_

_“I simply meant that this volcano fits the criteria for a hiding place for Groudon better than any other location in Hoenn or Orre, making it the likeliest location for Groudon to sleep,” Marc insisted. Adrian dragged him into a side tunnel, not wanting to go back to the surface until he’d finished this conversation with Marc. The other path was a dead end, carved out by some magma flow and then collapsed in long ago, but he didn’t care._

_“No, if you meant that you would say it,” Adrian pressed. He could feel himself slipping into his ‘Dad Voice’, the tone intended to tell Juan or Archie that he was serious now and they had to tell the truth or obey instructions. He’d never talked like this to Marc before, and wasn’t sure if Marc would even notice the shift in his tone, but Marc had always been a completely honest open book. It wasn’t just that he was honest—he was blunt. He didn’t even use metaphors and often didn’t understand them. He was an incredibly methodical, logical scientist, and him getting excited and having gut feelings about something was so out of character that if the temperatures weren’t too high for it to be safe Adrian would have ripped his mask off to make sure it really was him. “You’re not acting like yourself, Marc. Whether it’s Groudon or not, I think something in here is affecting you. We should leave.”_

_“Adrian, I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Marc said, now starting to look upset. “With Groudon’s DNA—I can make something controllable, I know I can. The problem on Cinnabar was that we tried to make it stronger, dangerously so. I can easily make something weaker, and a Pokémon with even a tenth of Groudon’s power would still be powerful enough to do so much good!”_

_“I know, Marc, I know, just… maybe you’re right, I’m overreacting,” Adrian sighed, stepping back and winding up running his hand over his hood as he tried to run his fingers through his hair. “I just feel bad about this whole thing. Like it’s all going to go wrong.”_

_“The results cannot be the same as at Cinnabar,” Marc said. “Groudon’s powers are entirely different to Mew’s. This can be successful, and I know I can do the same for Kyogre, if we find it.” Marc’s expression was invisible, but he did visibly stiffen a little. “Are you jealous that we found Groudon but haven’t found Kyogre yet?”_

_“No, but—Marc, you’re still talking like it’s a certainty that Groudon’s here, and it’s not,” Adrian said, exasperated. “It’s not proven. Like I said, it’s not like you. We really should go.” When Marc didn’t move, he reached out and grabbed his arm. “Come on…”_

_“Let go!” Marc shouted, jerking his arm away—_ angrily. _That_ really _wasn’t like him, and even he seemed to realize from the way he froze. “What… what was that?”_

_“I don’t know, but it’s why I’m sure we need to leave,” Adrian pressed._

_“No, I have to find out what that was,” Marc said sounding extremely distressed, pushing past Adrian. The ground shook under their feet._

_“Do you feel that? We need to—” he began, grabbing Marc’s arm. Marc pushed him off again, shoving him with a strength Adrian hadn’t expected the skinny scientist to possess. The ground shook again, more violently, causing Adrian to fall backwards as stalactites started falling from the ceiling._

_Adrian screamed as one smashed into his leg and a larger one pierced into his chest._

_“A-ADRIAN!” he heard Marc shout._

_“MARC, GO!” Adrian yelled, struggling to breathe as he felt his lungs grow heavy and fill with fluid with every weak breath. More stalactites were smashing off of the floor around him. The whole volcano was shaking. “GET ARCHIE AWAY FROM HERE!_ GO!” _He tried to shout again, but his lungs were too full of blood to draw breath. Then he heard another_ crack _and felt a brief crushing sensation before_

_Nothing_

 

 

“Morty? Morty!”

“I’m okay, Eusine,” Morty said, realigning himself to the present. At one moment, the ground was shaking under his feet and Eusine was shaking him, Marc was shouting and so was Eusine, and then Morty left the past entirely, kneeling on the floor of his library with his husband’s arms around him.

“You’re back?” Eusine said with concern, looking closely into his eyes. Morty nodded and kissed him briefly to prove it.

“I’m back,” he said. “Was I away long?”

“A few hours,” Eusine sighed, sitting back, keeping one hand on Morty’s shoulder. “You know I hate it when you let your mind wander like that.”

“I’m getting better at it… I used to be gone for a week, remember?” Morty said encouragingly.

Eusine shook his head. “Doesn’t mean that there isn’t a chance that you won’t go wandering one day and not find your way back,” he said with concern. “I almost like it better when you physically wander. You keep track of yourself easier when you do, plus I don’t need to figure out how to keep you fed and hydrated.”

Morty laughed and stood up. “I needed to see something,” he said. “The moment where Adrian Irving died. I needed to see what really happened. It was a focal point, I’m sure of it. It was a moment in time that started so much.”

“And who is Adrian Irving?” Eusine asked, standing up himself and crossing his arms. “Or was?”

“He was Kyogre,” Morty said, looking around the paintings he kept on the wall until he located a print of a twenty-eighth century piece about Groudon and Kyogre battling. “And he trespassed in Groudon’s lair.”

“Morty! Come quick!” Makai called, drifting through the wall. The Misdreavus smiled when Morty reached up to run his fingers through the shadowy tendrils of his hair before growing serious again. “On the news. There’ve been thousands and thousands of deaths in Hoenn, and the newscasters look like they think they’re insane for saying it, but the security camera footage from Sootopolis City shows Groudon and Kyogre fighting.”

“This is what it began,” Morty said softly, hurrying from the room. “And how it ended. Makai, gather everyone. We must hold a vigil for these lost souls.”

“Didn’t you call up Saylee a few months ago about dear old Chronos predicting this?” Eusine pointed out.

Morty nodded, getting out his pokégear. “Ten to one she was involved,” he said, scrolling through his contacts, “and that she’s the one that needs to know about my vision.”

“Why am I not surprised that that poor girl would get mixed up in the potential end of the world?” Eusine muttered under his breath.


	37. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 20   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

“I see,” Juan said, looking neutrally over the waves as he waited for his Pokémon to surface. His fairly vast selection of water-type Pokémon were combing the crater bed to chart buildings that had fallen in and retrieve furniture and belongings, but they were also retrieving bodies from the sunken houses on a distressingly regular basis. Saylee had been woken up shortly before sunrise by a phone call from Morty, who had witnessed Adrian’s death and felt the need to share the news. She had found Juan an hour later and told him exactly how his father died. “So it was an accident.”

“Sounds like it,” Key agreed.

“Kind of…” Saylee said hesitantly. “Those tremors coincided with Marc growing upset, and I don’t think _that_ was a coincidence. Groudon reacted to his presence, even if she didn’t wake. He couldn’t know that and didn’t mean to cause it, but the presence of Marc—and possibly the presence of your father too—agitated Groudon enough to cause those tremors.”

“Groudon’s invasion into Marc’s mind like that might’ve contributed to Marc snapping afterwards, too,” Kendrick suggested. “While Archie was getting the hang of running Aqua, Marc was actually hospitalized for a while, wasn’t he?”

“Archie needed someone to blame,” Juan sighed. “He was too young when we left Kanto. He couldn’t handle that good people can die horribly for no reason that anyone can control.”

“And as a result a lot of people have died because of actions committed by him and Marc both that could have been both predicted and controlled,” Saylee muttered. “Juan, what would you do if Archie turned up on your doorstep tomorrow, and you alone saw him?”

“I doubt you’d believe me if I said I’d turn him in,” Juan said, stroking his moustache, “and you wouldn’t be wrong. The results of Aqua’s actions are horrific, but…” he sighed, folding his arms. “He is my brother. I want to help him start over. I want to help him make amends.”

“I understand,” Saylee said. “If it was my brother, Silver… and had I met him a few years later in his life than I did, it might well have been...” She bit her lip. _Before, he was just an angry little kid who looked like he needed help. But when I found out he was my_ brother _, I knew it had to be me… I had to help him…_ “I would do the same. I’d try to protect him.”

“So you’re not going to arrest Archie if you see him?” Key said, sounding almost hopeful.

Her face fell when Saylee shook her head. “I understand,” she repeated, “but I need to let you know that even so, if I see him I’m bringing him in. He must be made to answer for what he’s done. I don’t know if you can understand it objectively…”

“I can,” Juan agreed. “But I fear this means that if Archie does appear, we will be working at cross-purposes.”

“Perhaps,” Saylee said, before being distracted by Crowley—Juan’s large Kingler-like Pokémon, which he had informed Saylee was a Crawdaunt—surfacing with three bodies, all young adults, not much older than Saylee. “Oh gods.”

Crowley carefully set them down, nudging a black backpack that one of them was carrying. “Pokénavs, tablet computers, things like that,” he said quietly. “They were indulging in a bit of looting in the chaos. They were in a house that probably wasn’t theirs. They must have been looking for valuables when the house slipped into the water…”

Juan dragged a hand over his face with a heavy sigh. “Thank you, Crowley,” he said sadly. “Please keep searching.” He walked towards a van that had been parked nearby and pulled three body bags out of the back. Saylee went to help him, wordless for now, both trying to and trying not to remember the faces of the dead.

 _I’m sorry,_ was all she could think. They had died because they were thieving when they should have been fleeing. They had died because of Archie and his blinding hate, because of Marc and his foolishness. They had died because of Groudon and Kyogre’s ancient, stupid, pointless fighting. But all she could think was that she’d failed them.

{}

“Well, that’s day four of cleanup, and the number of bodies found is down to single digits,” Juan said as Key walked up to him, pocketing her pokégear. “I suppose it helps that we’re dealing with limited lakebed space in here. Thanks to the currents near Pacifidlog, it’s unlikely they’ll ever find everyone who went missing there.”

“Oh, don’t,” Key said with a wince, trying not to tear up again. She felt pathetic, breaking into tears all the time—while cleaning, while carrying supplies, while on the phone to her parents (which probably undermined her assurances to them that she was alright), while trying to comfort her Pokémon. Saylee cried at night a lot of the time, Key knew, cried over the phone to her boyfriend or just curled up and cried, hugging Key, but during the day she could hold it together long enough to get things done. It frustrated Key that she couldn’t do the same, which only made her want to cry more. “I’m sorry. It’s just… it’s too horrible.”

“I know it is,” Juan said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it comfortingly. “Don’t worry about crying. You are facing horrors and have been lucky enough to have lived a relatively horror-free life. You are very brave not to run screaming.”

“I just wish I could keep it together like you and Lee can,” Key sniffed, feeling tears running down her cheeks. “How do you do it?”

“Practice,” Juan said, looking ill. “I grew up in Kanto during a truly horrific war. Your friend Saylee grew up in Kanto in the horrific aftermath. You practice anything and you get good at doing it. We’ve practiced living through horrors. You haven’t, and do not ever think of it as a bad thing. You have every right to go home, cry, curl up and wait for things to be fixed by someone else. You have not, and that makes you brave.”

“I had the chance,” Key said, wiping her eyes even though tears continued coming. “Lee just called to say she’d taken Wally back to his foster parents. Before she left, she asked me if I wanted to take him instead. I could’ve, and then gone home myself. I really, really wanted to.”

“Why didn’t you?” Juan asked curiously.

“Because after all the things I’ve seen and done with Lee… I don’t feel like I could just walk away and not help,” Key sniffed.

“I know the feeling,” Juan said with a nod. “It’s why I wound up becoming a Leader. The Leader here before me was a truly wonderful woman named Glacia. She left me the gym when she moved on to become an Elite. We met when I was a fairly young travelling trainer—younger than you—and there was a sudden storm that sank a small trawler. Two men and a woman aboard. I remember walking along the dock at Lilycove and seeing a group of people surrounding someone’s hysterical wife who kept yelling that her husband was out in the storm, all of them comforting her and worrying but none of them _doing_ anything. They were scared of drowning, I’m sure. I know I was, but I shelved that, released my Pokémon and set out into the storm. I found them swept close to Sootopolis and got all three of them to the city alive, where Glacia personally commended me for keeping my head when all around me lost theirs. Leaders with ocean jurisdictions have to do a lot of rescue, deal with storms… panic-inducing situations, and being able to keep calm is very important.”

“So you became a leader ‘cause you knew you could, huh?” Thomas asked, dropping down next to them from the next level up. “Oh, ceez, you crying again?” he asked, staring at Key and then slightly awkwardly offering her the end of his head leaf to wipe her tears with. Key giggled and did so.

“I knew I wanted to do something involving water Pokémon for a living,” Juan said with a shrug, smiling a little at the sight of Key’s Pokémon caring for her. “And it wasn’t so much that I wanted the responsibility as that, as you said, once I knew that I could do it I felt that I couldn’t not.” He looked out over the water. Cranes had been brought in to winch whole buildings out of the lake. “I saw some truly terrible things as a child, before we left Kanto, things I can never forget. I cannot undo the fact that I saw those things, and I cannot undo the effect that they had on me. But if I can prevent a thousand other people from having to deal with the same things…” He smiled at Key. “It makes my job very fulfilling.”

“How old did you say Archie was when you left?” Key asked.

Juan looked curiously at her. “Six, nearly seven,” he said. “Too young to remember much, and much too young to understand much of anything he did see, and it was a concentrated effort between Father and myself to keep him from seeing much. That is why he had so much more difficulty dealing with Father’s death… he does not deal with trauma well.” He sighed. “I fear for how he is dealing with the knowledge of what he has done…”

“People here sure as hell aren’t dealing well,” Thomas said, looking up the slopes. “I mean, I know they’re gettin’ put up in every hotel in the country and a whole campin’ village has been set up for them, but they keep coming _back_ , and for what? Standin’ around starin’ at body bags and piles of waterlogged stuff and cryin’.”

“I can understand why Sootopolis’ residents keep coming back,” Juan said, following Thomas’ gaze. “This is their home. Our home. The wonders of teleportation technology… they can keep coming back to watch, to hope something will be fixed.” He clasped his hands together. “The lake is being cleared rapidly. I think they need distraction, entertainment of some sort. A show to remind them what Sootopolis is all about, and that it’s not destruction.”

“What are you suggesting?” Key asked.

“You are taking the gym challenge, are you not?” Juan asked. Key nodded. “Battle me on the lake.”

“Wait, what?” Key said in surprise.

“The ice floor and pool in my gym where I normally hold battles are somewhat ruined, I’m afraid,” Juan said apologetically, “and I’ve had priorities above repairing them. But if we have a battle out on the lake, where all can watch it… a friendly, exciting gym battle… it might help, I believe.”

“…it’s worth a shot,” Key agreed, turning to Thomas. “Can you get everyone together? I’ll definitely need you and Leslie for this.”

“Gotcha,” Thomas said, grinning and darting off.

“I think he’s enjoying the idea of a battle where nobody’s going to die,” Key said, smiling. “So am I.”

“Aren’t we all,” Juan said, turning and striding over to the water’s edge. “KENDRICK! Gather the senior badge team! It’s time for a show!”

{}

“Wow, I’ve never seen an active volcano before,” Charlotte breathed, staring at Mt Chimney. Saylee shivered as she stared down at the shattered land radiating from the smoking volcano. Huge swathes of forest lay in piles of shattered wood or vanished entirely into craters, and the cities were no better; most buildings in Hoenn were built to withstand tsunamis and earthquakes, but that wasn’t much good when the ground beneath them was shattered and upturned so violently. In Mauville, skyscrapers leaned against each other and broken chunks of road jutted up into the air. The worst of the devastation followed a line from Mt Chimney to Sootopolis City, and that was the exact direction that they were flying. 

“They’re not fun,” Saylee said, fidgeting with Charlotte’s flying harness. “Don’t go near it. We’d better head back to Sootopolis.”

“To get Key, right?” Skye asked, flying alongside them. Tobias and Mary swooped by on the other side.

“We got tae keep an eye on that Juan, tae, don’t we?” Mary pointed out. “He’s that Archie yin’s brer, efter aw.”

“He’s the only family Archie has,” Saylee said with a nod. “If Archie runs _to_ anywhere, it’ll be there. That’s assuming he doesn’t just outright flee the country like Giovanni did.”

“And Marc has no family at all unless he left any behind in Kanto, right?” Tobias asked.

“The impression that I got was that he fled Kanto with the Irvings because if he had any family there, they weren’t still breathing,” Saylee said. “He’s married to one of his admins, I think, but that guy went missing with him. I don’t know that Marc, Archie and their admins haven’t all killed each other and that sub is going to forever rot on the ocean floor. I’m just going to have to do what I can, and right now that might just be stalking Juan in case Archie shows up.”

“Oh, dear,” Skye said, sounding dismayed. “I hope there ain’t gonna be anymore fightin’. We’ve got plenty a’ that already.”

“Hey, Saylee? Saylee! That’s you, right?”

A large, familiar Staraptor with two human women perched on her back flew towards them. “I told you it was her,” Sarah-Jane said to her trainer.

“Yeah, yeah, showoff, we get it, your eyesight’s good, don’t kick the tail out of it,” Jenny laughed. “How are you? Oooh! Your Swablu evolved!”

“Hey y’all,” Skye said, fluffing her cotton proudly. “Long time no nothin’!”

 “Charlotte, Toby, Mary,” Saylee said, gesturing to her Pokémon, “this is Seka, Jenny Hawkshaw and her Staraptor Sarah-Jane.”

“I’ve heard of Charlotte, Tobias and Mary!” Jenny said excitedly, waving to them. “Your Pokémon are as famous as you are, Saylee. Why didn’t you let us see them before? Check it out, Seka,” she said, gesturing to Tobias. “Tobias there is a Togekiss. They’re _incredibly_ rare, and people aren’t even entirely sure how they do it. How cool is that? And Charlotte’s a Charizard. They’ve just been brought back from the brink of extinction!”

“Got nothin’ tae say aboot me, eh?” Mary said indignantly.

Jenny giggled. “You’re obviously so awesome that I don’t need to point it out,” she said. Mary’s tail lit up as the flattery worked.

“How come you were hiding such awesome Pokémon before?” Seka asked, grinning at Charlotte. “I mean, a _Charizard_!”

“I couldn’t get them here,” Saylee said apologetically. “I’m glad I have them here now, though. It makes helping with the cleanup a lot easier.”

“Yeah, we were helping out at a refugee camp,” Jenny explained, “but we signed up to help rebuild Sootopolis, so that’s where we’re headed right now.”

“We’re returning to Sootopolis right now as well,” Tobias said. “Miss Hawkshaw, forgive me for asking, but could you be related to the late Professor Hawkshaw?”

Jenny’s smile tightened as she nodded. “The Professor was her mother,” Saylee explained. “Jenny’s taking on the Hoenn gym challenge, just like Key. How are you two doing for badges, by the way?” she asked.

“Seven apiece,” Jenny said, holding out her scarf to show her badges, her smile turning from faked to proud at the change of topic.

“We were saving the Sootopolis Gym for last because there’s a restaurant in it,” Seka explained, flashing her badge case but then clutching it to her protectively as they swooped out over the ocean. “Y’know, victory meals after. But I’m guessing it’s not open right now.”

“Juan’s pretty busy,” Saylee confirmed. “He’s got a lot on his mind.”

Sootopolis was easily visible from a distance due to the bright white stone of the long-dead volcano. Helicopters and large flying-types were constantly flying in and out of the crater. Oddly, Saylee could also hear the distant static buzz of the PA system activating.

“Mary, can you hear what they’re saying on the PA out there?” Saylee asked.

“Oh aye, hen,” Mary said, flicking her ears. “Sounds like, eh… the challenger’s Grovyle just smashed doon Juan’s Whiscash wi’ a Leaf Blade. The crowd’s gaun wild, they say. Sounds like a gym battle.”

“Did you just say a gym battle?” Seka said incredulously. “While there’s work to do? People have died, people have lost their homes—”

“Sounds like exactly the time when people could use a little distraction,” Jenny interjected. “A respite for a while. It can help, it really can. Not to stop dealing with things entirely, just to get a break for a short while and then to reboot and deal with things afresh.”

“I guess you’re right,” Seka replied neutrally. “Constant pressure from grief and loss can kill people.”

“Sounds like you might getcha gym battles yet, even if you ain’t gettin’ a meal,” Skye said as they flew towards the lip of the Sootopolis crater. “Soon as Key’s done with hers, anyways.”


	38. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 20   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

“Go, Les! You can do it!” Zac hollered as Leslie stood her ground against a powerful Water Pulse from Sipho, Juan’s Sealeo.

“Shockwave!” Key ordered. Leslie shot back a blast of electricity that was conducted along the pulsing blast of water and straight into the enemy Sealeo. Sipho collapsed, floating limply in the water.

“Your Pokémon are well-trained, and you play the types well,” Juan said, returning Sipho and bowing. Key couldn’t imagine how he could move so elegantly when he was perched on Kendrick’s back out on the water, as opposed to on land like her, Leslie and Thomas. “But now you face Crowley. Are you prepared?” He released his huge red Crawdaunt.

“So, you gonna take me on, little lady?” Crowley asked, leering at Leslie.

“Thomas, you take him on first,” Key ordered. “Leaf Blade!”

Thomas leapt into the air, swinging the blades on his wrist towards Crowley.

“Crabhammer!” Juan called. Crowley intercepted Thomas with a claw powerfully slammed into the slender Grovyle’s midsection. Thomas collapsed around the claw, then wrapped around Crowley’s arm, scurrying along to slash at the Crawdaunt’s body with his leaf blades.

“Key!” Saylee called. Key looked up to see Saylee and her Pokémon swooping down towards her, with Seka and Jenny in tow, flying on Sarah-Jane’s back. “How’re you doing?”

“Three down, though Thomas and Leslie are wearing out a little,” Key murmured as soon as Saylee was close enough to hear, not wanting to broadcast any worry or strain. She grinned as Crowley hit himself in the head in an attempt to swap Thomas off of him. “Wally get home safe?”

“Wally?” Seka asked in surprise. “Didn’t he get adopted? Did he get separated from his foster family or something? Things got pretty crazy…”

“Something like that,” Saylee said.

“Hi, Key,” Jenny said with a wave. “Guys, we’d better step back and let Key finish the battle…” Key looked back to see how Thomas’ scurrying slashes were faring against Crowley’s brutal smashes. Crowley was struggling to stay afloat, but Thomas looked exhausted. Crowley finally managed to swat him off, flinging him into the water. Key returned him as soon as he struggled to the surface.

“Good job,” Key said, cuddling Thomas’ pokéball. “Leslie! Get back out there and zap him!” Leslie darted out across the water. Linoone were good swimmers, and her fur bristled with electricity that electrocuted Crowley. The already weakened Crawdaunt succumbed, floating unconsciously.

“Good going!” Zac hooted. Molly, Sanborn and Oberon cheered loudly. “Who’s next, huh?”

“I am afraid that you have forced my hand,” Juan sighed, returning Crowley. Kendrick swam forwards. “I must play my ace. Now you face us.”

“Hey, that shit ain’t right!” Sanborn called. “How’s she s’posed to attack ya properly if she gotta be careful not ta kill ya?”

“I will be quite alright, I assure you,” Juan said, leaping off of Kendrick’s back as he swam into the field of battle. Juan’s elaborate clothing wasn’t as heavy as it looked; in fact, it looked to be buoyant, keeping him afloat and able to focus on the battle without having to swim. “Ice Beam, Kendrick!”

“Prepare yourself,” Kendrick said imperiously, firing a frozen blast at Leslie. She dodged and the ice beam hit the water, leaving a vast ice floe. Leslie leapt onto it and skidded across it, firing lightning at Kendrick. The electricity hit Kendrick hard, but he managed to shrug it off.

“Key, Kingdra are part dragon!” Saylee called. “They’re extremely hardy! You can’t take them down that easily!”

Leslie looked back at Key, cocking her head curiously. “Eyes forward and dodge, quick!” Key screamed. Leslie turned just in time to get blasted backwards off the ice by a second ice beam. She surfaced again a few minutes later, sending a shockwave at Kendrick, who tensed up at the hit but then shrugged it off again, firing more ice beams at Leslie. Leslie was more on the mark and managed to dodge most of them, but then she was hit again as she tried to jump between two ice floes, and this time was frozen solid.

“Good, now rest!” Juan ordered. Kendrick closed his eyes, floating sideways on the water as he curled up on himself to sleep and recover while Leslie was frozen.

 _Dragon,_ Key thought frantically as she watched the ice around Leslie start to melt in the hot summer sun. _What are dragons weak to? When Skye evolved, what did Saylee say? Ice, but he’s using ice and he’s part water too, so I bet Manami’s Ice Beam wouldn’t do that great… the only other thing they’re weak to is… dragons._

One of Leslie’s claws was freed from the ice, and she started thrashing, trying to smash her way out of the ice. Kendrick yawned as he started to rouse again. Key picked up Leslie’s pokéball, about to return her, then bit her lip. _Dragons are weak to ice. So long as Kendrick can use Ice Beam… Manami can’t use it for long, but maybe Kendrick’s strong enough to use it for longer?_

“Shockwave again, Leslie!” Key yelled as soon as Leslie’s head was clear. Leslie blasted herself out of the ice, zapping Kendrick just as he was waking up. The hit was hard, but Kendrick had fully recovered his energy.

“Ice Beam! Freeze her again!” Juan called. Leslie narrowly dodged another blast of ice, resulting in another ice floe, and then a second. “Now Water Pulse!” Kendrick shot a small wave at Leslie, who was buffeted back. The two new slabs of ice were flung into the air; one was noticeably smaller than the other. Kendrick was struggling to make ice. He managed to get off one last blast that hit Leslie; it wasn’t strong enough to freeze her solid again, but she was struggling to keep her head above water and only crackled weakly when she tried to fire more electricity.

“Leslie, return!” Key shouted, retrieving Zac’s sister.

“Have you another combatant, or is that a withdrawal?” Juan called. “There is no shame in an elegant withdrawal, especially when you are facing the likes of Kendrick.”

“Far from it,” Key said, releasing Topaz. “Dragonbreath!”

Kendrick ducked under the water as blue fire licked across it. “Where’d he go?” Topaz called, circling over the water. There was another wave as Kendrick used Water Pulse again. Topaz flew upwards, spiralling above the lake as she hunted for Kendrick. Higher and higher waves pulsed after her as Kendrick tried to hit her. “Keep tryin’!” she shouted at the lake. “I’ve got plenty of up, and you’ve only got so much water!”

“Double Team!” Juan shouted. Kendrick appeared from the water, but before Topaz could strike he split into a dozen Kendricks, all firing concentrated blasts of water at Topaz. She dodged them all, but firing dragonfire at random Kendricks only wiped out images while the real one continued to fire on her.

“Topaz, if all of them are images, then only one Kendrick is really attacking you!” Key shouted.

“...this is a bad idea…” Topaz muttered, before holding still and wincing as several “Water Pulses” passed harmlessly through her before one slammed into her for real. She fell, looking unconscious for a moment, before suddenly sending a blast of Dragonbreath back at the Kendrick that had hit her. She kept up the continuous spray of blue fire until Juan returned Kendrick.

“I must bow to your faith in your Pokémon’s strength and how well it was repaid,” Juan declared, “or at least, I will as soon as I am on land and am capable of bowing.” He started swimming towards them. Skye swooped out and picked him up, bringing him back and depositing him on land. “Thank you, dear lady,” he said, bowing to her, before turning and bowing more deeply to Key.

There was a tremendous cheer. Key looked up to see that, during the battle, the designated safe areas had filled with curious spectators who were now clapping and cheering their lungs out for her victory. Saylee, Seka, Jenny and their Pokémon all cheered, even Perun and Eric as they ran over to nuzzle Saylee’s legs and welcome her back. The cheering intensified as Juan offered Key her seventh badge.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Juan called, his voice being broadcast through the remaining PAs. “I am Juan, your Leader, and I will not rest until Sootopolis City is rebuilt! But there is no need for you to ceaselessly suffer your loss and fear! You who stand here have survived a battle between gods, and that makes you mighty!” The crowd cheered, hyped up on excitement and positive energy. “Do not feel ashamed to find respite, relax, and enjoy a show of power and beauty to remind you what Sootopolis City is all about! I shall take some time out of my day, once a day, every day, to take on gym challengers right here in Sootopolis Lake! Feel free to come back and enjoy the show tomorrow, or perhaps challenge me yourself and show me your strength!” The crowd cheered and clapped wildly for their gym leader.

“They love him,” Saylee said with a smile. “That’s a good thing in a Leader. Well done, Key. Good match!”

“Topaz, Leslie and Thomas did all the work,” Key said, hugging Topaz. “Seka, Jenny, are you guys here for matches?”

“Yup,” Jenny said. She and Seka were staring each other down intently. “Three, two, one!” Seka swore as she flattened her hand at the same moment that Jenny made a scissor motion with her fingers. “Score! I get to go ask Juan for tomorrow’s match!”

“Curse you, paper,” Seka growled, glaring at her hand as if it had actively betrayed her while Jenny dashed over to Juan. “Is that your last badge, Key?”

“No, I’m still missing one,” Key said, looking at the seven badges on her scarf. “Which one am I missing again…?”

“Mossdeep,” Seka said immediately, peering at Key’s badges. “You’ll need a partner for that one. The psychic that used to be the Leader there got replaced by her niece and nephew. Twins, and they’re _really_ tough to beat because, again, they’re psychic and communicate telepathically with each other and their Pokémon while battling.”

“Oh, cool!” Key said excitedly. “Lee, do you want to fight them with me?”

“Hmm…” Saylee glanced down at Eric and Perun.

“No sign while you were away,” Eric said. “But perhaps he’ll surface if you’re away? I mean, if you’re obviously watching the place…”

“Who’ll surface?” Jenny asked, walking back to join them as Juan dived back into the water and swam off towards his gym. “I’ve got tomorrow’s battle, and you’re booked for the day after, Seka.”

“Sweet!” Seka said, high-fiving Jenny. “Who’re you guys talking about?”

“Nothing,” Saylee said immediately. “I’d be happy to fight with you, Key. When do you want to go?”

“Why don’t we go tomorrow?” Key suggested. “We can hang out with Seka and Jenny today, work on the recovery effort. I am _not_ letting you guys get ahead of me on your badge quests,” she added with a grin.

“Charlotte, Skye, Toby, you guys want to go help with patrols?” Saylee said, looking to her Pokémon. “And anyone who wants to go with you, of course.”

“Duh,” Mary said, hugging Tobias from behind as she sat on his back. “Whit aboot you, Lee?”

“You guys up for doing something productive while we hang out?” Saylee said, brushing her hair behind her ear. “The relief kitchen’s going to need more volunteers for the dinner shift soon.”

“What the hell, it’s half of why we came,” Seka said with a shrug. “And you’d better win, Key. I’m gonna beat you at Evergrande City!”

“In your dreams,” Key said, returning the tired-looking Topaz. “Lemme stop by a machine on the way to heal up my Pokémon and I’ll go.”

{}

Mossdeep was in an extremely sorry state indeed, being an island city that was not, like Sootopolis, surrounded by high crater walls to protect them from the sea. Huge tidal waves had smashed into the city. A chunk of the southern part of the island was gone entirely, and the huge space shuttle that had stood proudly on the launchpad of the Space Centre was now sticking forlornly out of the waves, stuck among the rocks and not likely to be moved any time soon.

The west cliffs had also collapsed, taking many houses with them. Three or four were hanging off of the edge but hadn’t fallen. This was because one was being held up by a Metagross, while the others were held up by smaller, similar-looking Pokémon, surely its pre-evolutions. People were running in and out of the suspended houses, retrieving belongings of value. A startlingly familiar silvery-haired figure came out of one of the houses, helping to carry a stack of books.

“Is that… Steven!” Key cried in surprise. “What’re you—you’re alive!”

“Key?” he called, setting the books down and shadowing his eyes as he looked up. “And Saylee, too! Glad to see you’re alright.”

“We should be sayin’ that to you, up an’ vanishin’ like that soon as Groudon an’ Kyogre took off,” Skye said as she and Shikoba landed on the ground nearby.

“What the hell happened, Steven?” Saylee asked. “Where did you and the guardians go?”

“Well, when I called to have the guardians turned off, they took off,” Steven said, smiling in a friendly fashion.  “It wasn’t only me that awoke them, you know.” He held up three fingers. “Three types of guardian—rock, steel and ice. All three have to work together to form a seal like that. I got a trustworthy individual to unlock the other two seals at the same time I unlocked the underwater one. “

“Trustworthy individuals, huh?” Saylee asked. “Who would they be?” Steven just zipped his lips. “So where did _you_ go?”

“Personal errand,” Steven said, gesturing to the houses that he was helping to clear. “As soon as Rayquaza sent Groudon and Kyogre back to sleep, I knew that Sootopolis was going to be fine in Juan’s hands. I knew Mossdeep would be in a terrible situation, so I came to help. All hands on deck needed.”

“Sorry to drag you away from your work,” Key said apologetically. “Can we help?”

“We’re nearly done here, Steven,” a woman said as she came over to deposit a box full of photographs on top of a recovery pile. “Then you can… can let it go…” the woman bit her lip, dashing her hand over her eyes briefly to get rid of a fresh well of tears. “I’m sorry… I don’t mean to cry. It’s just a house. Plenty of people lost a lot more.”

“Can’t your Pokémon lift the houses onto flatter ground?” Saylee asked, gesturing to the waterlogged gardens. “Surely you can fit them somewhere?”

Steven shook his head. “There isn’t enough solid space, and if we try to move them back up, the ground will just crumble again,” he sighed. “Cliffs need to be rebuilt artificially, restructured… and a lot of people will probably have to move to other places until homes can be rebuilt…”

“The hotels are all full already,” Key said, biting her lip. “It said so on the news. There’s only refugee camps now. They’re getting ample support, of course… nobody’s lacking for food or water or a place to sleep… it’s just…”

“Kind of miserable, living like that,” Saylee said quietly. “It’s miserable to live without a real home.”

“Yes, I heard,” Steven said sympathetically. “Come on. Mrs Depp, feel free to give Bozider a shout when you’re ready to let the houses drop,” he said to the woman.

She nodded. “Thank you for taking charge, Steven,” she said gratefully. “Tate and Liza feel like they should. I know they’re extremely intelligent and responsible, but…”

Steven patted her shoulder. “Your children are very intelligent, but they are only children,” he agreed. “Eleven is much too young to be dealing with this. I’m happy to take charge of restructuring Mossdeep. Sar, Key, would you like to come with me?”

Shikoba and Skye flew overhead as they walked carefully along the soaked and muddy paths. There’d clearly been a good deal of flooding; a lot of furniture was sitting outside, drying in the sun. Saylee saw a woman with a number of old-fashioned paper books out on a table, drying them with a hairdryer. Another man was piling electronic devices into bags of rice.

“How’re people doing?” Saylee asked. “For morale?”

“Grieving, a lot of them,” Steven sighed. “I don’t think as many people were lost here as in Sootopolis; people here are more likely to flee to higher ground the second the sea gets rough, so they were mostly all up by the travel centre when the evac went out. Not that people didn’t die…”

“Accidents, chancers, the stubborn?” Saylee said.

“Rather cold way of putting it, but yes,” Steven sighed. “It is very… _downing_ to have to rebuild and repair everything. But I imagine Sootopolis is worse?”

“Yeah, people are pretty down, but Juan decided on how to deal with it,” Key said, showing her Cascade Badge.

“Show battles?” Steven said, before bursting out laughing. “Oh, why am I not surprised that would be Juan’s solution? Well, Wallace has put the word out that he intends for this fall’s League to go forwards come hell or high water—again—to make people feel like life is going on as normal. Like master, like student, I suppose…” He smiled. “Not a bad idea, really.”

“D’you think you could get the leader here to do it?” Shikoba called down. “It’s the last badge you need, right, Key?”

“Shikoba!” Key chastised him. “I’m sure the leaders have more important things to do…”

“No, that’s why I’m here,” Steven said, chivvying them along. “And I think they might just like Juan’s idea. Hopefully it’ll cheer them up, at least.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t wanna be a review-begger, but… well, there haven’t been any on this fic for a couple of weeks, and I really would like to know what y’all think about the events of the past few chapters. Do you like ‘em? Have I put people off with something? Am I doing it right? Doing something wrong? I’d love to hear what you’re enjoying, but I’d also love to hear about what I could do better—that feedback is important for me to keep developing as a writer and to make these stories as enjoyable for you as I can :)
> 
> I’m not gonna demand reviews or say “no new chapter until x number of reviews!” or any of that crap. Just wanted to say that I’d love to hear from y’all and not feel like I’m shouting into the void.


	39. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 20   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

The Mossdeep Gym presented a sight that was familiar to both Saylee and Key in different ways. The gym was a big, sturdy building full of random portpads that were probably used to challenge trainers but were now the entertainment for hordes of children, left there to play under the supervision of older children while the adults tidied up the city. Key was reminded of the orphanage, the contained chaos of the playroom and the garden; Saylee was reminded of the towns in Kanto when she’d been travelling, where children were more or less left to their own devices and only expected to show up for meals sometimes until they were big enough to do any work. For her, that oldest child had always been her brother Red, sometimes Daisy, when they were little, but when her and Blue’s parents had died she’d been just enough older to become more mother than sister to her little brother, and that meant hunting with her grandfather, or stealing… Saylee didn’t know if she’d ever sold, but she’d always managed to feed Blue.

 _The people in Hoenn will never have to go that far, at least,_ Saylee thought. _None of these children will ever go hungry._

“So the gym leaders are looking after the kids?” Key asked.

“More or less,” Steven said. “They’re only eleven, but a very responsible eleven.”

“Are the gym leaders here _really_ eleven?” Key asked. “They can’t possibly be leaders that young, can they?”

“If they can pass the competencies, they can,” Saylee said. “Although their governing assistants probably have an extended range of powers, right?”

Steven nodded. “You know someone who’s an underage leader?” he asked.

“I know one in Johto, and my brother just became one in Sinnoh,” Saylee explained. “I’m familiar with the process. Usually it’s because they’re exceptional trainers, more than capable of defending their jurisdiction… and being able to raise and train exceptional Pokémon usually means that you have more than a usual amount of common sense and responsibility.” She sighed. “Usually…”

“Well, there are often other factors, such as inheritance…” Steven said, looking around. Two shouts rose above the throng.

“Steven!”

“Steven!”

“Hey, kiddos,” Steven said, holding up his hands for high-fives as two kids came running out of the throng—or rather, one child carrying an identical child on their back. The carried child had a thick cast on their left leg. A Pokémon was hovering on either side of them—one shaped like a crescent moon, one like the sun. The children were wearing identical long blue clothes and had their long black hair tied back in similar bun styles. They were of identical heights, and that height was only about half a foot shorter than Saylee. She wasn’t sure if they were boys or girls.

“Who’re…” the one being carried began.

“…they?” the carrier ended.

“This is Sar Saylee of Kanto and Miss Key Weaves,” Steven said, gesturing to each of them in turn. “Saylee, Key, this is Mister Tate and Miss Liza.” The children giggled as they were addressed thus, though Steven didn’t indicate which was which.  “They never finish their own sentences, and as you can probably guess, they prefer double battles.”

“Can we…” the carrier began.

“…battle them?” the one being carried continued, before they both chorused, “Can we?” in unison.

“It’s what we’re here for,” Key said. The children cheered, the one being carried punching the air.

“We’ve been…” the one being carried said.

“…So bored!” the other continued. “Ever since…”

“…I broke my leg,” the one being carried said, kicking his or her left leg in its thick case, “nobody lets us…”

“…do _anything_!” the carrier complained. He or she didn’t seem to be feeling any particular strain from carrying their twin, although perhaps their silent but presumably psychic Pokémon were helping.

“You and your Pokémon did more than enough, putting up that safeguard to protect people from the tidal waves,” Steven admonished them, ruffling their hair. The children pulled identical faces. “Tate’s leg needs to recover before you can go out and help with the recovery and rebuilding. After all, your powers are far, far greater when you can work together, aren’t they?”

“We’re the best…” Tate insisted.

“…when we fight together!” Liza continued. “Nobody…”

“…can beat us!” Tate resumed.

“That’s just creepy,” Key muttered.

“I think it’s cute,” Saylee said, which made the children grin happily. The twins’ seamless manner of shared speech was indeed somewhat unnerving, but Saylee didn’t find it actually frightening, or at least didn’t want to. Children with psychic powers were feared and hated for not being able to control what they could not understand far, far too often.

“Samson!” Tate called.

“Lekeleka!” Liza called.

The two floating rock Pokémon started flying around the room, calling, “Gym battle! Gym battle! Everyone to the viewing gallery!” The children cheered and scattered out of the room, reappearing on viewing galleries up in the walls. Saylee got out her pokédex, following the flying rock Pokémon with it. The sun-shaped one was called Solrock, and the moonlike one was Lunatone. They shepherded the children out of the room until it was clear. Liza went running across the floor, still carrying Tate, the teleportation pads and floor slides switching themselves off as she ran over them. Probably there was someone in a booth somewhere switching them off for her, but it still had an impressive visual effect akin to a technological sea parting before the twins.

“I’ll leave you to it, ladies,” Steven said with a bow. “Now, remember, they are just children.”

“Are you telling us to go easy on them?” Key asked.

“Actually, I think he’s warning us that they’re dirty cheats,” Saylee said shrewdly.

“Now, now, they’re gym leaders. They don’t _cheat_ ,” Steven corrected her. “They just fight as dirty as legally possible. Be forewarned. I’ll see you later.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and headed back towards the entrance as Key and Saylee stepped into the challengers’ box.

“I’m guessing they’re rock-types?” Key muttered to Saylee.

“Rock/psychic, according to the ‘dex,” Saylee replied, picking a pokéball. “Double-surf ‘em?”

“I’m game,” Key agreed, picking out Leslie’s pokéball.

“This combination of ours…” Tate called.

“…can you beat it?” Liza added.

“Just watch us!” Key shouted, releasing Leslie. Saylee released Zac, narrowing her eyes as Samson and Lekeleka made no move towards the battlefield—which, given that the children had been evacuated and there were no marks on the floor aside from the portpads and sliding tiles, presumably consisted of the entire room. Instead, two pokéballs levitated up on either side of the twins and opened, releasing their occupants onto the battlefield.

 “That’s a Xatu. They’re psychic/flying,” Saylee told Key, pointing at the regal white-and-green bird that was standing across the field from them. The other Pokémon was a Claydol. It was noticeably smaller than Steven’s, but as Steven was a former Champion that wasn’t necessarily saying much.

“Three! Two! One!” Tate and Liza chanted in unison. “FIGHT!”

“Concentrate attacks?” Key suggested quietly. Saylee nodded, wondering if by “playing dirty” Steven meant that the twins would read their minds. It seemed pretty clear that they could read each others’, at least, and control their Pokémon telepathically. Without the twins saying a word, the Xatu closed its eyes and began to levitate, meditating and lifting itself off the ground at the same moment that the Claydol slammed into the floor, rocking the room with an Earthquake.

“Not cool!” Zac yelped as he and Leslie were flung across the floor. “You okay, Les?” His sister nodded, rolling to her feet and licking his cheek.

“Even if they can predict our attacks, it doesn’t necessarily mean they can do anything about it,” Saylee muttered. “Zac, Shockwave on Xatu!”

“Leslie, Thunderbolt on Xatu!” Key called. The Linoone crackled as they built up electricity to attack. Zac attacked first, releasing a wave of electricity that also charged Leslie up before she shot out a singular bolt of lightning, both attacks passing harmlessly by the floating Claydol to hit the Xatu.

At least, they would have hit the Xatu, had the Claydol’s eyes not glowed and a flat, shining screen not appeared in front of the Xatu, deflecting the electricity.

“Yes, I do agree,” the Xatu said, opening his eyes. “Real rude to pick on someone like that.” His eyes began to glow as Leslie was picked up by a pink glow.

“Leslie!” Zac shouted, leaping up after his sister, only to yelp as he was picked up by another glow of pink. Both of them were flung to opposite sides of the room.

“Are you okay?” Key called. Both Linoone got back to their feet, growling at their opponents. “Try it again!” She leaned towards Saylee, muttering, “If they’re coming from different directions, that light screen can’t block them both, right?”

“Probably not, but…” Saylee trailed off, staring at the floor. “Zac, Leslie, look out!”

“Wh—AAAGH!” Zac yelled as he suddenly vanished and reappeared on the other side of the room, nearly smacking into Leslie. Tate and Liza laughed so hard that Liza doubled over, and Tate flopped over her head, rolling over on his side and clutching his stomach.

“…They turned the teleporters back on,” Saylee sighed. “Zac! Leslie! Watch where you put your feet!”

“…y’know…” Key muttered thoughtfully, looking at the teleporter pads.

“I know,” Saylee agreed quietly. “Let’s hope they notice too…”

Zac and Leslie were pulled up into the air by Psychic attacks again. Zac yelped and flailed, but Key managed to catch Leslie’s eye and glance down at the floor. Leslie looked down at the teleportation pads for a moment before she and her brother were flung to the other side of the room. She pawed at her brother’s ears as they got up, then shot off across the floor, randomly hopping from teleport pad to teleport pad.

“She’s figuring it out,” Key whispered happily.

“I knew she was smarter than her brother,” Saylee muttered back with a grin. “Zac, Shockwave!” She shouted.

The Claydol actually rolled its eyes as it put up another light screen to protect the Xatu. It deflected the shockwave, but it didn’t do much good when Leslie appeared on a portpad directly behind them and zapped the Xatu with Thunderbolt. Tate yelped and returned the fallen bird.

“SURF!” Saylee and Key ordered at the same moment. The Claydol attacked with Ancientpower, flinging huge boulders at Zac and Leslie, but even as tired and battered as they were, Linoone were too quick and nimble to be hit easily and the Claydol couldn’t seem to pick one to focus on. Tate and Liza had stopped laughing; Tate was sitting up on the ground and the two were actually glaring at each other, suggesting that both of them were trying to send psychic commands to their Claydol and that the demands were conflicting. A second round of Surf finished it.

“Yeaaahhh!” Zac whooped happily before flopping over with a sigh. Leslie flopped down on top of him, panting.

“Well…” Tate called.

“…Done!” Liza agreed, returning the Claydol. “Are you ready…”

“…for round two?” Tate asked. Their Lunatone and Solrock floated forwards.

“Zac and Leslie aren’t,” Saylee told Key. Key nodded, returning her Linoone. Saylee returned Zac and picked Molly’s pokéball. “Bubblebeams?”

“Yep,” Key said, releasing Manami. Saylee sent Molly out to join her. Samson started glowing brightly. “Bubblebeam!”

“Bubblebeam!” Saylee ordered at the same time. Lekeleka glowed as it put up a Light Screen to defend them. It dropped suddenly, to Saylee’s surprise, allowing a few bubbles through to hit the two rock-types before Samson’s glow intensified abruptly and it blasted out a beam of green-yellow light.

“Solarbeam!” Saylee cried as Molly was knocked down. “It’s using Sunny Day! Molly, are you okay?”

“Here, dear,” Manami said, setting up an Aqua Ring for Molly to soak in.

“Dodge, quick!” Key yelped as Samson sent off another Solarbeam. Molly and Manami dived aside. “Try another Bubblebeam!” The two Azumarill attacked again, but Lekeleka put up another Light Screen. “I thought Solarbeam needed time to charge!” Key complained as Samson fired at them again.

“Not when it’s using Sunny Day,” Saylee muttered. “We need to take out one of them, but the shield only drops when Samson attacks…”

Key bit her lip. “The Solrock or Lunatone?”

“Lunatone, then we can attack openly,” Saylee replied. “Can you… keep the Aqua Ring up on Molly? I’ll return her the moment…”

Key nodded. “Manami, use Aqua Ring on Molly!”

“Molly, get ready to Waterfall!” Saylee called. “Not yet…” Samson glowed again and Lekeleka dropped the Light Screen. “Now!”

Samson hit Molly with a Solarbeam again as Molly fired a rising blast of water at Lekeleka. Molly winced as the Solarbeam hit her.

“Keep up the Aqua Ring, Manami!” Key called.

“Hang in there, Molly!” Saylee shouted. “Keep it up!”

“Ungh…” Molly managed to keep the Waterfall attack going for a few more crucial moments, but the flow of water started to weaken as she slipped. Saylee held out her pokéball until she knew that Molly couldn’t keep going, returning her. For a moment, Manami stood alone against Samson and Lekeleka, and then Lekeleka gave a keening cry and _thumped_ to the ground.

“Awww!” Liza complained, returning her Lunatone to its pokéball. Tate sat up and patted her hand, pointing at Manami.

“Oberon!” Saylee called, releasing her Bellossom in front of Manami. The Solarbeam hit Oberon, but didn’t seem to bother him much.

“’ey, how you doin’?” he said to Manami, ignoring the Solarbeam.

“Goodness, are you alright?” Manami said, eyeing Oberon warily.

“Never felt better,” the Bellossom said, twirling. His leaves and flowers seemed to glow. “Feelin’ pretty pumped up, actually! Oi, boss, we gonna fight or what?”

“Bullet Seed!” Saylee shouted.

“Manami, Bubblebeam!” Key ordered.

The two attacks hit Samson together, knocking it backwards. Samson suddenly fired a Flamethrower at Oberon.

“I gotcha!” Manami said, leaping in front of Oberon. The Flamethrower bothered her about as much as the Solarbeam had bothered Oberon. “Let’s get him!”

Samson was knocked out of the air by a second blast of seeds and bubbles and couldn’t get up again. Liza whined and returned it as the kids in the gallery went nuts with cheering.

“Our combination…” Tate complained.

“…was shattered!” Liza whined. She and Tate both pulled something out of their hair and levitated them, sending them flying towards Saylee and Key, who caught the little metal objects out of the air.

“ _Sweet_ ,” Key said, pulling out her badge case and putting the heart-shaped pink-and-silver badge inside. “I don’t know about Jenny, but I’ve _definitely_ beaten Seka to my eighth badge.” Saylee shrugged and conspicuously pinned her badge onto her bag strap, above the battered pot-metal emblem that Brock had given her five years before, and the ten other various pins and emblems below that. “Oh, shut up.”

Liza picked up Tate and ran over to them, nimbly making use of the teleport pads to jump herself closer and avoid the inrush of children. “Hey, weren’t you…” Tate called.

“…in Sootopolis?” Liza finished. “We saw you…”

“…on TV! You were helping…”

“…fight Groudon and Kyogre!”

“Yes, we were,” Saylee said, gripping onto her bag as the children surrounded them.

“ _So cool!_ ” the twins breathed in unison. Then Tate leaned away from Liza’s back to whisper into Saylee’s ear.

“Can you tell us who the boy with Rayquaza’s power is?” he whispered. “Why did Rayquaza send that boy instead of coming itself?”

Saylee stiffened. “That was on the TV too?” she said warily.

Liza and Tate both nodded. “Just a glimpse,” Tate whispered. “I bet most people didn’t know what it was. I bet most people didn’t realize it was a boy flying, or thought it was a mistake in the picture. But it wasn’t, right?”

“We’re not allowed to tell you about that,” Saylee said, glancing at Key as the younger girl opened her mouth and then quickly closed it again. “Come up with your own theories. Maybe one day soon you’ll know.”

“Y’know, psychics could always…” Tate said.

“…speak to Pokémon, even before the Gab,” Liza finished, ending the covert conversation. “And older psychics always knew…”

“…that humans and Pokémon could be best friends,” Tate continued, “if only…”

“…we could understand each other,” Liza said, staring pointedly at Saylee. “Is that…”

“…what’s happening?”

Saylee smiled. “I hope so,” she said. “I really do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for all of your kind reviews! I was having a bit of a neurotic day (you know, the kind that ends in ‘y’). You guys make my day, my week and my life.
> 
> So with that, Key has all eight badges! By the way, if you’re interested in that kind of thing, both Saylee and Key’s Hoenn trainer cards are going up on the series blog, Sayleeofkanto, where I’ve also recently done a couple of writing q&as that have a bit of information about the future of the series. I have a lot of plans for Saylee and Key in the future, and as long as you want to keep reading, I’ll keep writing :)


	40. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 20   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key  
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

Key and Saylee found Steven and his Pokémon helping to hold two walls up while they were sealed together. A flying crane was starting to lower the roof of the house, ready to set it down as soon as the walls were steady.

“You won?” he asked.

“We did,” Saylee said with a nod. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Well, it’s about dinnertime for anyone who doesn’t have their own food or kitchen anymore,” Steven said, stepping back a little as the roof settled into place and a couple of builders started climbing up ladders to seal it in place. “I’m sure everyone here’s tired. You two want to help dole out the food at the soup kitchen?”

“Where is it?” Key asked.

“Sorry to say, it’s back the way you came,” Steven said with a grin. “Just across from the gym. Just turn up at the door and volunteer to distribute the food. It’s pretty simple. Just dish up and dole out the meals, and anyone can have seconds. There’s no shortage of food, at least…”

“Are you coming down at some point?” Saylee asked.

“Are you asking me to dinner?” Steven chuckled.

Saylee rolled her eyes. “I still want to talk to you about those guardians of yours,” she said firmly.

Steven quirked an eyebrow. “Well, public is hardly the place for that… but since I no longer have a house, what is there to do?” he sighed. “If you want to get started before the first meal call, you’d better go now. I’ll see you later.” He winked and headed over to the house, picking up a ladder and leaning it against the roof near the chimney.

“You’d better tie your hair back, Key,” Saylee said, retying her headscarf to hold her hair out of the way. “It’s good hygiene to keep your hair out of the way when handling other people’s food, my mum says.”

“Does your mum work in a restaurant or something?” Key asked, taking the band and finger-combing her hair back.

Saylee laughed and shook her head. “Never anything so fancy, and not anymore,” she said. “For a little under a year, she ran a stall in Pewter City, selling lunch to the miners working on digging out the tunnels in Mt Moon. She’s pretty good at making just about anything appetizing, so once she had real ingredients to cook with… well, she did really well out of it. I got the money and supplies for her to start up by gambling on Pokémon battles.”

“Gambling?” Key said in surprise, tugging her hair up into a high ponytail. “I thought you hated gambling. You didn’t like the casino in Mauville.”

“I don’t like casinos,” Saylee said, “but in Kanto, people always gamble on their Pokémon battles. It’s one of the reasons people train, unless you train your Pokémon for hunting, or are well enough off for food that you just need them for self-defence. It’s how Red supported us, and it’s how I chose to support my family and friends, too. I wasn’t exactly drowning in alternative jobs, anyway…”

The soup kitchen was under a huge marquee over a park in front of the gym. Tables were set out in rows on the grass around a dry ornamental fountain that was probably normally the centrepiece of the park. Statues of famous Mossdeep citizens were also dotted about randomly, although a good few were lying on their side. The actual kitchen was set up around the huge fountain, and as they drew closer they could see that most of the supplies for dinner were set in the dry fountain itself. The food—pasta, sauce and vegetables—was mostly finished already, so Key and Saylee were put to work pouring drinks and doling out platefuls to the first few people to arrive. More people trickled in as the light started to wane, and then suddenly they were facing a line that stretched all the way down the street and out of sight, hurrying to feed people as fast as they could.

“You know, in a way, it’s nice to be so busy,” Saylee said to Key at one point. They were standing next to each other as Key scooped up pasta and Saylee poured sauce over it.

“It is?” Key said in surprise. “I think it kinda sucks that there’s this many people without a home, out of food…”

“True,” Saylee said, smiling at a little girl who politely said “thank you” when given her plate. “But I mean… it’s nice that there’s so many people here, so many people still alive. They opened up the first welfare kitchen in Viridian about a month before my mum moved away to get married, and I work there when I’m not out on cases. Even now, when Viridian’s population is increasing… there aren’t even four hundred people there, you know? Most people these days can afford to get their own food, but there’s always still people who need help. So seeing hundreds and hundreds of people still here…” she gestured to the crowds sitting all over the park. “I just feel like this place is going to be alright, in the end, and it’s going to take a hell of a lot less than twenty years to get there.”

“…so long as Marc and Archie don’t try to pull anything else with Groudon and Kyogre,” Key muttered.

Saylee smiled. “I’ll deal with that,” she promised. “Hoenn’s going to be fine. I’ll make sure of that.”

{}

“Second shift’s here!” a woman called. “Everyone get in the line!”

Key sighed, rolling her neck as she passed her serving spoon to a young man with dark brown skin and pale lavender hair. The flow of people had slowed down to almost nothing, but a lot of people were returning for seconds. “I’m starving,” she said.

“I know, standing over all this delicious-smelling food for so long really gets to you, doesn’t it?” Saylee said, passing her serving spoon to a bald, lanky teenage girl. They stepped out between the tables and went to the end of the now mercifully short line. “Did you see Steven?”

“Not yet,” Key said, untying her hair. “Must still be working.” She looked out at the gym; the sky wasn’t visible under the marquee, but they could see how dark it was outside the lights strung up under the canvas, a dark made worse by the pitifully few working streetlamps. “So, do you think we should stay here and volunteer for longer?”

“Probably,” Saylee agreed. “Thank you,” she added as the bald girl handed her a plate of food. “Mmm… actually, volunteering in Sootopolis might be a better idea. I’d still like to be near Juan’s in case Archie decides to turn up there. I should probably head home for a while at some point soon, as should you… I bet your parents would be relieved to see you again, and…” she bit her lip as she smiled a little, craning around to look for a couple of seats. “I haven’t seen Blue in months. He can’t leave Pallet just now; it has a beachfront, so it’s a possible location for the submarine to appear, and he’s a leader. He needs to be there.”

“Hey, there’s a couple of seats!” Key said, holding her plate and glass over her head as she scurried over to a couple of empty seats. “’scuse me, pardon me, comin’ through…” They sat down and stopped talking for a few minutes as they started scarfing their food down.

“My goodness, you _both_ eat like Kantons,” Steven said dryly, sitting down in an empty seat across the table from them.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Key asked, pausing to wipe some sauce off of her mouth.

“It means you eat like you haven’t seen food for a week,” Steven laughed, picking up his fork and spearing a few pieces of pasta. “So, what did you want to ask me?”

“How did you find out about the guardians?” Saylee asked.

“The Regis? I told you,” Steven said, looking amused. “There are certain records only available to the Champion…”

“So why wasn’t Wallace there?” Saylee asked. “Okay, maybe you discussed that with him when you called him after we let, but that still doesn’t explain how you got there so fast. You’d have to have left immediately after we did, and we didn’t see you…”

“Bozider can teleport, you know,” Steven pointed out. “And we’d been there before. I’d investigated it before, just in case. The only thing I never found was the Emerald Orb. Where _did_ you find that?”

“It turned up in a ruined tower in Johto,” Saylee explained. “I feel like it would’ve been smarter for whoever put it there to have put the Ruby or Sapphire Orbs there instead…”

“Well, whoever did that did, at least, have the foresight to break those Orbs to prevent their power being accessed,” Steven pointed out. “And hid those shards all the way out in Kanto…”

“I still can’t believe that was Groudon and Kyogre on _low_ power,” Key said with a shudder. “I really, really don’t want to know what it would look like if they had their full power… or what a _person_ could do with that power…”

“Do you mean if they used the Master Ball?” Steven asked. “We found some information about that in the Aqua base, but no schematics or anything to tell us what the Master Ball _is_ or what it does.”

“It severely brain-damages Pokémon, leave it at that,” Saylee growled. “They built one. I already… acquired it… and threw it into an incinerator for debris at Sootopolis. It’s my policy to destroy those things on sight.”

“They were developed in Kanto, weren’t they?” Steven asked quietly.

Saylee nodded. “They were the spark that kicked off the civil war,” she said darkly. “It wasn’t the only reason, but it was the last straw.”

Steven nodded slowly. “So…” he began, looking around. Nobody was sitting near them; most people had finished eating and cleared out to go sleep. “…The boy manifesting Rayquaza’s power. You mentioned a person having a god’s powers…”

Key glanced at Saylee, biting her lip.

“…and I know for a fact that this isn’t the first time this has happened,” Steven continued softly. “Those two boys and the psychic in Johto… I know there are old Johto legends of humans and gods combining to work for the good of all. That boy could stand as Champion of Hoenn someday….”

“Are you asking me who he is?” Saylee asked incredulously. “Because if you already know all of that… is that ‘special information for Champions’ too?”

“As is Wallace’s identity, yes,” Steven laughed, “but the Rayquaza boy is a bit of a bolt from the blue. His ascension two years ago was predicted, but seems to have taken place without the knowledge of any of the proper authorities… who is he?”

“His name’s Wally,” Key said. “But… leave him alone, okay? He’s still ill and recovering, and he just got a new foster family that he’s settling into…”

“I’m not going to do anything to him,” Steven said mildly. “I understand that the powers that be in Johto are very much of the ‘guide and mould’ belief, but I, personally, don’t believe gods like Rayquaza choose anyone who won’t be exactly what they need to be anyway.” He grinned. “I guess you could say I have faith.”

“I don’t know about Rayquaza, but Wally’s a good kid,” Saylee grumbled. “It’s Groudon and Kyogre’s avatars I’m more worried about…”

“Is it now…?” Steven said archly. “Well… so long as the Orbs are still missing, that isn’t an issue, is it? In any case… I simply with to know where this boy is to ensure that he is protected. I don’t want to interfere with him, but… he could be in danger.”

“From Magma and Aqua?” Key asked. Steven shook his head.

“There’s another group out there,” he said darkly. “They were spotted raking around in the rubble of the Sky Pillar, and they were wearing the same uniforms as several people who were recently arrested in Orre for breaking and entering… not that that’s an unusual charge in Orre, but it seems to be a big deal for the police there, so while they won’t say what the perpetrators were trying to steal, it must be serious. And call it a hunch, but I think they’re the same group who’re responsible for the murder of an eminent researcher into the Unown and Legendary Pokémon in Johto. Have you seen the picture they managed to produce from her Girafarig’s memories? The uniforms look similar if you squint…”

“Yeah, I saw it,” Saylee said, remembering the fuzz of grey, purple and green that was the last thing that Professor Hawkshaw’s dead Girafarig had seen. _Throat slashed, Girafarig ripped apart…_ “That’s…”

“Whatever they’re looking for, it’s to do with legendary Pokémon,” Steven said. “There’s no suggestion that they know about gods in human bodies, but better safe than sorry.” He speared the last couple of pieces of his pasta and wiped up the remnants of his sauce. “A foster boy named Wally, hmmm…? Thank you. I’ll make sure he’s protected.” He stood up, picking up his empty plate and glass. “I’ll keep in touch. Safe trip back to Sootopolis tomorrow.” He went over to the fountain to dump his dirty dishes into the appropriate buckets.

“Why _don’t_ you trust him, Lee?” Key asked curiously.

“…just a feeling,” Saylee said, watching him go and then turning back to finishing her own cooling pasta. “Like there’s always something he isn’t telling me…”

{}

“Oi, ‘mon an’ help me charge up this generator,” Mary said, grabbing Zac by the tail as he ran past and dragging him towards the emergency generator. The generator could be charged up like a battery with electric attacks, and would be Sootopolis’ primary source of power until the city’s usual wave power generators were restored.

“You’re way overpowered, lady, you don’t need me,” Zac protested, struggling against her hold.

“Aye, but it’s as good an excuse as any tae get you tae leave that poor lass alane,” Mary said, glancing over her shoulder with a grin. Sanborn and Leslie were smashing apart and digging aside a pile of fallen rocks. Sanborn was chatting away and showing off, and while Leslie never spoke, the girl was noticeably smiling. “Gie ‘er some time wi’ ‘er man.”

“He’s not—he can stay away from her!” Zac snapped, continuing to struggle.

“Is he no’ your teammate?” Mary pointed out. “Do ye no’ trust ‘im or somethin’?”

“It’s not—he’s a great teammate and all, but that doesn’t mean he’s good enough for her,” Zac growled.

“An’ what kindae mate would be good enough for Les?” Mary asked with a grin.

“Nobody,” Zac said stubbornly.

“It’s sweet tae see such a lovin’ brer, but I’m tellin’ ye, leave ‘er be,” Mary insisted. “She’s a big lass wi’ a hell of a Surf on ‘er if she ever thinks he isnae good enough. She’s just gaunnae get pissed at you if you keep intereferin’, ye ken?”

“Just doing my job as her brother,” Zac grouched, though he finally consented to walk with Mary instead of having to be dragged. “Leslie’s always needed me to look after her. I’m the only one who understands her.”

“Les makes ‘erself understood better than you think,” Mary said. “Yer kindae like Lee, though. She’s well protective o’ her wee brer, but she kens fine that he needs ‘is space. She’s been frettin’ aboot him movin’ tae Sinnoh, I’m sure, but ‘e disnae like her man an’ ‘e likes her maw an’ step-da well enough, so he’s daein’ fine, I bet.”

“So, what, I should just let her run off on her own?” Zac asked. He looked startled when Mary nodded.

“Aye,” she said. “Like I said, she’s a big lass. She can do things hersel’. But she’s only brave enough tae try the things she wants to ‘cause she kens fine she’s got a fine big brer tae run to in hard times. Tobes always did whit ‘e wanted ‘cause his maw an’ da an’ Lee were always there for him…” She gestured up at her mate, picking up loads of debris and flying them out to sea. Anything that wasn’t heavy enough to sink was being incinerated, but the majority of the debris was being dumped out in the middle of the vastness of the ocean. “I think ‘e turned out well fine.” She winked at Zac. “Whit aboot you? Nae special lady in yer life?”

“Still haven’t met a girl cooler than Leslie,” Zac said diffidently. Mary laughed.

{}

“One… two… three!” Skye called as she and Topaz lifted a sack of broken boulders between them.

“…some!” Shikoba hooted, swooping past. “Come on, ladies, you gotta give me points for that one.”

“How about I give you a Dragon Claw to your stupid face instead?” Topaz grumbled, buzzing her wings rapidly to stay aloft with the weight carried between her and Skye. There were helicopters carrying debris too, but the weight tended to wear them out faster than it wore out Pokémon, and helicopters took longer to fix. “You could _help_ …”

“Depends… would you groom my crest if I did?” he said with a wink. He yelped and dipped as a burst of dragonfire nearly hit him in the face.

“Y’all gonna get an ass full o’fire if you keep that up,” Skye warned him. “Folk need help, and if you ain’t gonna help, you can get right the hell outta here. Even Lee an’ Key are workin’ their asses off, an’ they’re weak li’l humans who ain’t got pokéballs to rest in.”

“Fine, fine… I never can say no to a lovely lady,” Shikoba sighed, finally swooping away from them and heading towards Sootopolis.

“Glad he’s finally gone,” Topaz huffed. “Does he genuinely think that crap’s ever going to work?”

“I think he’s just havin’ fun with us,” Skye grumbled. She glanced to the side in surprise as Tobias flew past, ready to go get another load. “Well, whaddya know. We’re at the drop point already!”

“I guess he makes a good distraction, if nothing else,” Topaz said, looking down for the buoy indicating where to drop debris loads. “One… actually, no. Three… two… one…”


	41. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 20   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

“Y’know…” Seka said as Thomas climbed past her, scuttling up and down the sheer cliff faces with messages and small supply bundles. “Are you going to fight at the Pokémon League with Key in the fall?”

“Plannin’ to,” Thomas said, pausing. “Why?”

“Well… wouldn’t it be better if you evolved first?” Seka asked, looking the tall Grovyle up and down. “It looks like you’re strong enough.”

“If I’m strong enough, I’m fine the way I am, aren’t I?” he countered. “I can kick as much ass without a pine tree up my ass as with it, thank you very much.”

“Sure, sure,” Seka said quickly. “It’s just… the League can be pretty intense, you know?”

Thomas looked incredulously at her. “I got a better survival rate fightin’ with Key than that Saylee psycho,” he huffed. “Y’know, the one who thought attacking gods was a fun plan? I mean, she pulls off some badass shit when she wins, but when she loses, she loses _hard._ ”

“Oh, ceez, I didn’t mean you could _die_!” Seka protested. “Combatant safety is a major League priority! I just meant that if Key blows things at the League she doesn’t have a chance of getting to fight the Elite Four, never mind the Champion.”

“It can get a helluva lot worse than just losin’ a show battle, y’know what I’m sayin’?” Oberon said, flouncing up to her. “What’re you standin’ still for, huh?” he said to Thomas.

“I don’t see you doin’ any work, petal,” Thomas said, scurrying past them and onwards down the cliffs.

“Yeah, ‘cause, y’know, me bein’ a foot an’ a half tall, I’m really built for heavy liftin’,” Oberon shouted after him. “Ignore him, he’s an asshole,” he added to Seka with an adorable smile.

“You’d be bigger and stronger as a Vileplume,” Seka pointed out.

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t be as pretty,” Oberon said. “Somethin’ up?”

“Wondering how Key got her badges so quickly,” Seka grumbled.

“Loadsa trainin’ tips from Lee from what I can tell,” Oberon laughed. “She’s got a helluva advantage with Lee helpin’ ‘er call the shots… and takin’ the worst of the blows, too. Lee’s had to train ‘mons from scratch more often than Key has.”

“So you’re Saylee’s, right?” Seka asked. “How’d you wind up with her?”

“Eh, things happened and then stuff,” Oberon said with a shrug. “What can I say? It’s hella dangerous rollin’ with that woman, but at the end of the day, I feel like I’m makin’ more of a difference than doin’ show battles, y’know what I’m sayin?”

“Er, yeah,” Seka said as the little Pokémon waltzed off.

“Something wrong?” Jenny asked, walking up to her. “C’mon, weren’t we going to go help clear ground for some of the new houses?”

“Yeah, sure,” Seka said, combing her fringe back. “I think I just got belittled by a flower, is all…”

{}

The debris on the bed of Lake Sootopolis was mostly gone, making the rocky bottom visible. The bodies had thankfully all been cleared out—Molly felt like she was going to have nightmares until her dying day about grey, bloated human corpses floating up from the rubble they were trapped under, arms reaching towards the surface as if still begging to be saved—but personal possessions, items of furniture and public items like streetlamps were still scattered all across the lakebed that needed retrieval.

She and Manami had stubby arms that weren’t good for carrying things, but they had each been given a special sack for carrying any small items that they found. Juan’s much larger water types were carrying up large objects while the Azumarill scooped up toys, photographs and ornaments scattered around from fallen buildings.

“I’m out of room, what about you?” Manami asked, holding out some framed photographs.

“I think I can just squeeze them in,” Molly said, flattening a sodden stuffed Teddiursa as much as she could to fit the photos in. “Time to surface?” Manami nodded and they both relaxed, no longer fighting against the buoyant pull of their tails and allowing themselves to be pulled to the surface. At the top, they swam over to the ground, passing their bags to a couple of humans who began laying the items out to dry on towelled sheets. A group of humans immediately ran towards them, picking over the sodden things. One woman picked up a photograph and fell to her knees, hugging it to her chest and sobbing.

“Humans are awful attached to their things, aren’t they?” Manami said curiously.

“I think she’s the woman that was in that photo,” Molly said, remembering how she’d dislodged the photo frame from under a rock. “There was another woman in the photo with her, but…” she looked around, but she couldn’t see the second woman, who had been shorter and had more yellow hair, anywhere.

“Ah…” Manami looked sadly away from the crying woman.

“Do you two want to take a break? You’ve been fetching since daybreak,” one man said, continuing to lay out wet items.

“I could do with a snack, couldn’t you?” Molly suggested.

“I suppose,” Manami agreed. The two of them headed for the stairs upwards. Three levels up, however, they were stopped by a pitiful whimper.

“Oh, dear,” Molly sighed, spotting Python curled up with his head on his paws, staring at the water and brooding. Even humans were noticeably avoiding the aura of misery around him.

“He’s always like this when he’s not doing anything,” Manami sighed.

“Hello, Python,” Molly said brightly, stepping tentatively towards him. “Weren’t you helping dig out the rubble where the high school was?”

“School wasn’t in session at the time. Nobody was there,” Python grunted. “They don’t need anyone sniffing out bodies.”

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?” Molly said with a smile. “But still, surely—”

“Your trainer’s working that area, too,” Python muttered. “I don’t want to work with her.”

Molly’s face fell. “Python—”

“It’s not ‘cause I hate her,” Python said quickly. “I… feel bad, I guess? Last time I saw her, I could see she still had these pink cuts on her neck in the shape of my fangs, and I think about how _close_ I came to ripping her _throat_ out… it pisses me off, is all. And…” He sighed heavily, flicking his ears weakly.

“What’s w—what is it, Python?” Manami asked, quickly deeming “what’s wrong” to be a stupid question. “Come on, you can tell us.”

“I just…” Python whined weakly again. “When’s it going to stop hurting?” he almost whispered. “When we catch the bastards? Because we’ve caught most of them and stopped their plans, and I don’t feel a damn bit better…”

“Oh, Python…” Molly sat down next to him, patting his ears. Manami sat on his other side, doing the same.

“What the hell did I even think was gonna happen, anyway?” Python whimpered. “We won, but what the hell does that matter? It doesn’t bring her back, it doesn’t stop… stop hurting…”

Manami leaned close to Python. “You’ve got sea water on your face,” she said softly.

“How do I do it?” Python wuffed hoarsely. “How do I make it stop… hurting…?”

Molly hugged him, closing her eyes and pretending that there was only lake water on her face. “When you figure it out,” she whispered, “let me know.”

{}

“Well, at least he tried,” Jenny said, watching Juan’s daily challenger return his unconscious Magneton with a scowl.

“Tryin’s one thing, winning’s another,” Jack said, scratching at his ears with his hind leg. The Jolteon relaxed with a smile when his trainer started scratching his ears for him. “Only one of ‘em matters at the Pokémon League. Mmmm, that feels gooood…” then he winced suddenly. “I hate it when that happens.”

“What?” Jenny asked. A second later there was an audible buzz from the PA system turning on.

“Citizens of Sootopolis!” Juan’s voice said smoothly. “I have an announcement to make. I have just been informed that the last load of debris has been dumped, the last possessions claimed and the status of every single citizen of Sootopolis accounted for.” Some people cheered this, but most people just sighed. “After five weeks of hard work from every citizen of Sootopolis, League-requisitioned aid and an army of truly spectacular volunteers, I am proud to announce that the primary cleaning effort of Sootopolis City is complete!” There was somewhat more cheering for this, but also a chorus of groans from those who knew what was coming next. “That means that all resources are now into rebuilding! Yes, I know, more work, but at the end of every day, a few more people will have a home to go to, and isn’t that worth something? If you were ever planning to renovate your home, please submit requests or, for preference, blueprints to city planning officials ASAP!”

“How do they afford this stuff?” Seka asked, gaping at Juan.

“Well, it’s not like the materials cost anything, not with energy-to-matter technology,” Saylee pointed out, checking a couple of emails that beeped into her Pokégear. “That’s how they did it in Kanto, anyway, and I’m taking it to be a safe bet that they’ve got more replicators here, so more can be built faster. You only need to pay the labourers.”

“Half the people here are volunteers, anyway,” Key said. “I wonder how Mossdeep and Pacifidlog are getting along… I think Pacifidlog’s the only place that probably got it worse than Sootopolis.”

“I checked the news updates last night, and Pacifidlog went almost straight to rebuilding, since there wasn’t a lot left to clean up…” Jenny said, looking down. “But apparently Champion Wallace turned up and got the wild Pokémon who live in the area to help retrieve bodies and got the Corsola colony back together straight away.”

Key and Saylee exchanged a look. _Manaphy, prince of the ocean, huh?_

“Well, if people need help rebuilding, I guess we gotta help, right?” Jack said, getting to his feet. “Where we off to, Jenny?”

“I might as well help with the rebuilding here,” Jenny said with a shrug. “I mean, we’re making some friends here.”

“I’m up for that,” Seka agreed. “Key, Saylee, what about you guys?”

“We’re going to stay and help too, of course!” Key said.

Saylee shook her head. “Actually, I’m not,” she said.

“Wait, what?” Key said in surprise. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to go back to Kanto to talk to the labour union there,” she explained. “Kanto has the largest proportion of skilled builders per head in the world, for obvious reasons… Wallace has been emailing me since yesterday with job specifications and the kind of pay rates that Hoenn can offer.” She held up her Pokégear to show that the emails that had been buzzing in all morning were from the Champion of Hoenn. “There’s still work to be done in Kanto, of course, but it’s not as urgent as the situation in Hoenn right now, and Wallace is offering better pay rates than most of the charities and entrepreneurs that are funding most of the building in Kanto. Anyway, I know all the major figures in the labour union, while they don’t know Wallace from a hole in the ground, so it’ll be easier to get them out here sooner if I go talk to them in person.”

“Oh… that’s fair,” Key agreed. “Will you be gone long?”

“Gonna miss me?” Saylee teased.

“How will I live without you?” Key mock-sobbed, hugging her. “But seriously.”

“I don’t know how long it’ll take to get the labourers organized,” Saylee said apologetically. “I’ll try to be back before your League challenge, but I can’t say anything more specific than that. Labour unions aside, I want to go home and see Blue for a while. He’s the Viridian leader, and that covers Pallet, which has a coastline, so he still can’t leave his area until Archie, Marc or their execs surface…”

“It’s been three weeks and nobody’s seen those criminals anywhere?” Seka sighed.

“If the sub has a food replicator in it and a source of power, there’s no telling how long they could stay hidden,” Jenny pointed out.

“So long as they don’t kill each other…” Key muttered.

“If you’re staying here in Sootopolis, you need to keep an eye out for them, okay?” Saylee muttered to Key. “Juan’s a leader, but… Archie is his little brother.”

“I got it,” Key promised. Then she glanced at Jenny. “Hey… didn’t you say this was kind of a gap year for you between college and Police Academy?”

“Doesn’t mean we’re not takin’ the challenge seriously!” Jack said, perking up.

“I know,” Key said, waving her hand. “I mean, are you any good at keeping state security secrets?”

“The police do know that Archie’s Juan’s brother, they just don’t believe that Juan will be ‘any less than professional in the apprehension of a major criminal’,” Saylee said sarcastically.

“Wait, Archie as in Archie Irving? Leader of Team Aqua and highly wanted criminal Archie Irving?” Seka said in surprise. “He’s related to a suave devil like Juan?”

“You’d arrest your dad if you ever saw him again, though, right?” Key said.

“Yeah, but I _detest_ my ‘father’ and would like to watch him take a long walk off a short pier,” Saylee pointed out. “You heard Juan talking about Archie when he was younger. He still cares about him.”

“You think Archie Irving might turn up here?” Jenny asked.

“Bingo,” Key said. “We need to keep an eye out in case he does come running back here.”

“Sure, but only until League registration opens up,” Seka pointed out. “They’ve pushed the entry back to Monua fifteenth instead of Zanua fifteenth, so we still have six weeks.”

“I’m sure I’ll be back by then,” Saylee promised. “Make sure to get some training in between building houses…”

“You could always make Edge bench-press roofs into place,” Key told Seka.

“Sarah-Jane’s getting enough speed training with your Swellow chasing after her every time he sees her,” Jack sniggered to Key.

Saylee grinned. “I’ll head out with my Pokémon in the morning,” she said. “You guys have fun…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, there was a brief mention of Fairlan months in this chapter, so if you need a reminder (and even I needed a reminder) they are, starting at Honua=January: 
> 
> Honua—Suinua—Arnua—Shanua—Gronua—Kyonua—Reginua—Artinua—Zanua—Monua—Jinua—Darnua
> 
> So basically, the implicit present date—the beginning of Zanua—is equivalent to the beginning of September; League registration usually starts on Zanua (September) fifteenth, but has been pushed back to Monua (October) fifteenth. (By the way, Saylee’s birthday in Zanua 11th, and this is shared by Blue, Daisy and—when he was alive—Red, since they don’t know when their birthdays are, so Saylee’s about to turn 21, although they don’t make much of a deal out of birthdays in Kanto so she hasn’t brought it up and probably won’t. If anyone’s curious, Blue will be 22 and Daisy will be 26. The majority of people in Kanto who don’t know when their birthdays are—pretty much everybody older than Saylee—count their ages around Zanua 5th, which was the day of Memory Ground Zero twenty-one years ago and as such is the first day any of them remember.)
> 
> The months rarely come up enough for it to be worth the name changes and I apologize if it’s confusing, I just can’t bring myself to have them refer to months named after gods that don’t exist in this world XP


	42. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 20   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, FFnet user 8Tye8 requested a team list, so Saylee and Key’s present teams are listed below. I get that it’s probably hard to keep up with the large team roster week by week; should I put a team list in every chapter, and if so should I put it at the top or bottom of the chapter? Vote in the poll on my FFnet profile!
> 
> KEY:  
> Thomas the Grovyle; Leslie the Linoone; Python the Mightyena; Shikoba the Swellow; Topaz the Flygon; Manami the Azumarill
> 
> SAYLEE:  
> Zac the Linoone; Molly the Azumarill; Sanborn the Sandslash; Skye the Altaria; Nadia the Camerupt; Oberon the Bellossom
> 
> GUEST STARRING:  
> Tobias the Togekiss (from After Armageddon and Blood and Bond); Mary the Ampharos (from Blood and Bond); Charlotte the Charizard (last Pokémon acquired in Blood and Bond); Eric the Espeon (Red’s Espeon); Perun the Pikachu (Red’s Pikachu)

Zac glowered when Leslie gave Sanborn a lick on the cheek goodbye, but looked mollified when she did the same for him. “You’d better look after her,” Zac growled at Key. Leslie nipped him. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“Take care of yourself, darlin’,” Shikoba said, winking at Skye. “And I’ll take _good_ care of Topaz.” He tried to spread one of his wings over the Flygon, but she batted him away and pushed him over before giving Skye a hug goodbye.

“You take care of yourself too, Nadia,” Topaz added.

“I’ll be fine,” the Camerupt said calmly. “Train hard for the league.”

“I expect you to be _significantly_ stronger than me by the time I get back,” Molly said, hugging Manami. “You’re the one taking on the League, after all.” She surprised Python by jumping up to hug him as well. “Soldier on, Python.”

“Yeah… you too, Mol,” he said, licking her cheek.

“You ever gonna evolve, big guy?” Oberon said, brofisting Thomas.

“Nah, I’d never be as fabulous as you, anyways,” Thomas replied. “I’m just gonna have to kick all the ass as I am.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re capable of that,” Molly laughed.

“Alright, guys, I need to board now,” Saylee called. “Said all your goodbyes?” Everyone nodded and waved to each other as Saylee and Key returned their Pokémon.

“Are you gonna be okay, riding on a freighter like that?” Seka asked, looking over the very bare ship. Liquids and gases didn’t tend to do well during long-distance teleportation, which was one of the reasons long-distance teleportation of living beings also wasn’t used much, so freighters were still used to transport certain goods. “I mean, they’ll just be sticking you on some spare bedding somewhere…”

“Part of me still feels spoiled when I get bedding, so it’s all good,” Saylee promised. “You guys train hard for the League, okay?” She smiled at Jenny. “Do your mum proud.”

“Of course,” Jenny said, waving.

Key hugged Saylee. “Come back soon, okay?” she said.

Saylee hugged her tightly back. “I will, as soon as I can,” she promised. “Later, guys!”

“See ya!” Seka called. The three girls waved to Saylee as she carefully walked up the rickety gangplank and onto the freighter.

“Sar Kanto?” a woman called as Saylee climbed aboard. She was wearing a white dress shirt and tie and had a peaked cap perched on her tightly-curled blonde hair. “I’m Captain Renato. Welcome aboard the _S.S. Remoraid._ I’m sorry we can’t offer you better accommodations.”

“I’m grateful for the lift,” Saylee said. “The Kanto builders are extremely good at what they do but dealing with them definitely tends to require a… personal touch.”

“I hear you have to fight to get anything of value in Kanto,” Captain Renato said, putting her hands on her hips.

“Not just the valuable things,” Saylee said with a grin. The horn blared overhead. “Is that for you?”

“Sophia!” Captain Renato called, waving over a beefy female crew member with short black hair. “Can you show Sar Kanto to the womens’ bunkroom and find her a place to sleep?”

“Aye aye,” Sophia said, waving Saylee over. “C’mon then, Sar. Sorry we don’t have any beds of gold with diamond duvets.”

“Sounds uncomfortable,” Saylee said, ignoring the ribbing. “Can I help out in some way on board? I feel weird about not paying for my passage. Can I, I dunno, swab the decks or something?”

“Nobody really says that.” Sophia led Saylee a couple of flights belowdecks and along a corridor. Compared to the liner she’d arrived in Hoenn on, it was very cold and rough, the corridors all bare metal with no decoration. The bunkrooms were a little brighter; most of the crew members had put photos, posters and giffies up over their bunks. The beds were all bunkbeds, triple bunks with railings along the top two bunks and a stepladder running up one end to allow people to climb up to their bunks. They weren’t completely solid beds, but more like thick hammocks, which probably helped counter the sway of the ship on the waves. “Okay, those two sets at the end are free at the moment, so you’re welcome to pick a bunk. There isn’t really anywhere secure to put stuff, but it’s well known that if you’re caught touching other people’s stuff without permission you get put in a life ring and dragged behind the ship for an hour. That applies to everyone. No special treatment.”

“I’m not expecting any,” Saylee said, starting to get a little irritable. She put her bag down on one of the bottom bunks. “Really, what’s expected of me here? Am I on a chore rota or anything?”

“Captain Renata runs the ship pretty strictly, so we can’t just stick you on a rota,” Sophia said. “You’re free to roam the ship. The engine room door and things like that are locked, but the mess is just down the hall when it’s mealtime—six, twelve and six, by the way—and some people hang out there or on the aft deck when off-shift. Try not to get in anybody’s way and you’ll be left to your own devices.” The horn blared again and the ship shuddered as the engines started moving. “I’d better get to my station. See you at lunch.” She immediately turned and left the room.

“Well, she was friendly,” Saylee huffed to herself. She thought about grabbing her bag again, but decided to leave it and go back up on deck to watch Slateport City float away behind them.

{}

There was no response when Daisy knocked on the gym back door, but she heard a phone ringing inside. She tried the door and found it unlocked.

“Hey, this is—oh, it’s you, Miss Daisy.” Ryan, Blue’s Rhyperior, stuck his head through the double doors set halfway down the hall and leading to the main training room. “Blue’s out.”

“You know, there’s a reason Saylee bought him a pokégear,” Daisy said, following the ringing noise into Blue and Saylee’s room and finding the folded device sitting on the dresser. “This thing’s _portable_.” She flicked it open and wasn’t surprised to see Saylee’s name on the screen. “Saylee! Hi!”

“ _Daisy! Blue left his ‘gear behind again, didn’t he?_ ” Saylee sighed.

“Of course he did,” Daisy said, sitting down on the bed and glancing around the bedroom her little brother shared with his girlfriend—whenever both of them were around, which wasn’t that often. “He’s supposed to regularly patrol the coastline and talk to the wild Pokémon to make sure they haven’t seen anything.”

“ _I suppose if there’s any foreign country to flee to, Kanto would be the one, but I don’t really expect them to do that,_ ” Saylee said. “ _But enough shop talk. The ship I’m on just left. I should be there in five days._ ”

“Ooh, that’s great!” Daisy said happily. “I’ll let Blue know when I see him again. I’m glad you’re alright, what with everything that’s gone on in Hoenn…”

“ _Have you heard a lot about it?_ ”

“It’s all over the news,” Daisy said, putting the ‘gear on speaker mode and pulling it away from her ear so she could scroll through some news feeds. “They’re arguing about whether or not those shots of Groudon and Kyogre fighting are real, eyewitnesses are arguing all over the place about what stopped them… only thing they’re fairly consistent on is the casualty numbers…” she bit her lip. “Are they accurate? The dead and presumed-dead casualty lists?”

“ _Yeah. There aren’t a lot of ‘presumed’. Wallace, the Champion… he’s very charismatic with wild water Pokémon, so even the bodies that would normally be lost to the sea have been brought up. Why?_ ”

“Just… trying to be optimistic, I guess,” Daisy sighed. “Misty’s been a wreck. Her man Eddie was on the _S. S. Starmie…_ ”

“ _That one went into a whirlpool. No survivors… Most of the bodies got pretty torn up, so it’s hard to positively ID without spending some extra time DNA-checking them, but the number of bodies matches up… I feel awful for her. How’s her…?_ ”

“Little Petunia’s only got two words in her vocabulary, ‘mama’ and ‘no’,” Daisy said with a touch of giggle. “I don’t think she’s aware that her daddy being away is any different from usual. You know how Misty is. She’s tough. She gets on with things. She just doesn’t talk about it with most people.”

“ _At least she talks to you, though, right?_ ”

“I’m special like that,” Daisy declared. “Everyone needs _someone_ to talk to.”

“ _Don’t I know it. How are the Pokémon?_ ”

“They’re all doing well,” Daisy promised, getting up and going down the hall to peer into the training room. Rhyperior were rare, but Ryan wasn’t the only unusual sight in the room. A formerly extinct Kabutops sparred with a pair of Skarmory, various Eeveelutions raced around a couple of Dodrio, and several other Pokémon were crowded around the new arrivals that Saylee had sent over from Hoenn. There was a black-and-white one that Daisy suspected might be an Eeveelution, but she’d never seen before, and a little shapeshifting one that kept forming miniature clouds. “The new ones seem to be fitting in alright. The others are being friendly. I think Blue’s Pokémon and their strict training regimens might be intimidating them a little…”

“ _How’s Cassandra_?”

“Which one’s Cassandra?” Daisy asked, looking around.

“ _The black-and-white canine. She’s an Absol. They have a very keen intuition for danger and disaster. The ones all across Hoenn were going absolutely bonkers in the days up until the battle here. So long as she’s calm, everything’s fine._ ”

Daisy looked back at the Absol. She was relaxing and chatting to a prim-looking Ninetales. “She’s relaxed. Good to know.”

“ _See you in five days, then._ ”

{}

Matt was starting to miss the shouting. Sure, the fights had been horrible in their confined space, but the angry silences were almost worse.

At least there was more than one room in the sub. There was a main control room, and a bunk room and a kitchen for long expeditions. Marc and Kalle hadn’t come out of the bunkroom for nearly two weeks, and Archie didn’t leave the control room, instead just sleeping in his chair sometimes, though actual sleep seemed to be coming to him rarely and it had hit his mood hard. Shelly was faring better, utilizing her enviable talent to sleep absolutely anywhere and spending most of her time doing so. Matt tried going into the bunk room to sleep; it was awkward, but he thought one side or another needed to start making gestures of good faith. Whenever they got close enough to the surface to pick up transmissions, they were reminded that they might have to stay underwater for a long time. They were still hunted after what had happened. What they’d _done._

Courtney had reciprocated, at least, coming through to the control room when she was awake, trying to make conversation through Archie’s silent fuming and Shelly’s territorial glowering. She was basically the escape driver, she’d told Matt, in charge of getting Magma members in and out of problem situations in a flash, though Matt thought that “escape driver” was a bit of a dull term for someone who could fly planes and helicopters, drive cars, trucks, motorcycles, tanks and drills, and, as it transpired, quite expertly pilot a highly advanced sub.

The whole thing was far beyond awkward. There’d been a lot of arguing, the first few days, about Marc’s version of events the day that Adrian died, something that the three of them had been refusing to listen to for nine years, and for good reason: it sounded absurd. Matt could remember the way that Marc had laughed after coming out of that volcano alone, and to believe that it was simply due to a mental breakdown was…

…easier to believe, now, after seeing what effect Groudon and Kyogre had on people. Marc was withdrawn, barely emotional, and when he did show emotion it was in violent, uncontrolled bursts of laughter, tears or both together that even he barely seemed to understand, and it caused violent swings in Kalle too—from quiet and calm and trying to calm Marc down to genuinely violent. The first time Archie had punched Marc, Kalle had lit into him with an almost uncontrollable fury. Matt didn’t know what he’d been more worried about in the first few days: Archie killing Marc, or Kalle killing Archie.

And then there were the Orbs, sitting in sealed storage lockers next to the wetsuits. The Orbs were the worst part of all of it, the only common ground between all six of them. Archie and Marc couldn’t remember a thing between touching the Orbs and awakening in the sub, and Matt, at least, couldn’t forget. From the way that Shelly, Courtney and Kalle refused to talk about it, he was sure that they felt the same. The transformations in the two men had been terrifying, the unrestrained insanity in the way they attacked each other, the _results_ …

He looked over at Shelly, trying to find something else to think about. _Anything_ else. She was slumped over the scans, watching the data on the Pokémon they passed flicker by. Her eyes were filling, but she wasn’t crying, not yet. “Hey,” he said softly, scooting his chair closer to her so they could speak quietly. “You okay?”

“Coral,” she murmured, to his surprise. Every other time he’d asked her, she’d insisted nothing was wrong, glaring at Courtney or looking nervously at Archie. Maybe she was just too tired. “They said she was in jail. I was so, so sure that once we’d stopped Marc… everyone would see that we were doing the right thing, and she’d be released, but… what’s happened to her? What’s _going_ to happen to her? She’s seventeen, she…”

“She’ll be alright,” Matt reassured her. “She’s tough, like her sister. Besides, she can’t be held accountable for… for what happened at Sootopolis _because_ she was in jail at the time. Almost everyone except us three had no idea what was really…”

“Well, there’s a good few members need to be arrested anyway,” Shelly grumbled. “We knew we were hiring criminals for a lot of our ops because they’d do what they were told for money and without going ‘but isn’t that illegal?’ It’s just jarring to know that some of them were killers, too…”

“What?” Archie asked. Shelly and Matt both looked up, surprised to hear him speaking.

“What what?” Shelly asked.

“What you were saying,” Archie clarified. “About killers—what did you mean?”

“They’re the whole reason we had those two girls after us,” Shelly complained. “The one who failed to steal the submarine parts in the first place… Danny? He killed Sar whatsherface’s Wingull. And then in the Weather Institute op, one of the other idiots—Mikey, I think—killed her Dustox…”

Archie groaned and buried his head in his hands. “That wasn’t supposed to be… dammit.” He looked up at Shelly and Matt with a broken expression. “We fucked this up, didn’t we? We really fucked this up. If we’d just… if we’d listened to Marc… if _I’d_ listened to Marc, if I hadn’t taken it into my head…” he pulled his headscarf off and scrubbed his hands through his hair, growling to himself. “Damn it!”

“Archie,” Shelly said, putting her hand on his shoulder, “none of us realized it would turn out like this. We thought we were doing what needed to be done, what was needed to stop Marc… none of us were trying to get anyone killed.”

“No, but that’s what happened, isn’t it?” Archie snapped, pushing her away and getting up, pacing the length of the control room. “We got a _fuckload_ of people and Pokémon killed! I don’t know what’s worse—all the ones we got killed by accident, or the ones that we—that people _I_ hired—killed on purpose…”

“They’ve got a similar beef with us, you know,” Courtney added. “Marc got her Blaziken deep-fried in Mt Chimney. And we’re all a little to blame for the possessed nutjob that killed her Mightyena on Mt Pyre.” She jerked her thumb at the locker holding the Orbs. “Marc did his homework on her at the beginning, you know, after she first showed up messing with your operation in Rustboro. We were trying _not_ to piss her off. She took down Team Rocket _twice_ because they personally offended her.”

“Yeah, we got that, but not until _after_ that idiot killed her Wingull, so not much use, is it?” Shelly snapped. “Do you have a point?”

“My point is that I want to know when we’re planning to surface,” Courtney said icily. “We can stay down here for five years and when we reappear, she’ll be after us, and so will the whole of Hoenn’s law enforcement. And frankly, even if we have data-stored food for fifty years, I don’t _want_ to stay down here that long. I think I can safely say that both Marc and Kalle would like to see their son again before the kid gets grey hairs. I’m willing to do my time for what’s happened. You know, if you plead guilty you get less jail time and more community service because they think you’re penitent.”

“You really think anything’s going to get me less than a thousand years in jail?” Archie snapped. “No. I’m not getting locked up, and neither are you.”

“So what do we do, keep hiding?!” Matt argued, standing up. “Shel’s right, Archie. We need to face up to what we’ve done. _All_ of us,” he added, looking pointedly at Courtney.

Archie paced back and forth, rubbing his head so much that he was liable to go bald. Then he stopped in front of the locker, pressing his hand to it with a heavy sigh.

“Courtney,” he said quietly, “can you… ask Marc and Kalle to come in here? To talk? I promise I won’t punch anyone. I just… want to talk.”

“Sure thing,” Courtney said, standing up, “but remember… you promised.” She headed off to the bunk room.

“What are you planning?” Shelly asked Archie.

“We’re all in the same boat… all but literally,” Archie said. “We need a plan to get to the surface and get out of the country… as far out as possible.” He started pacing again. “We’ll probably all need to split up… we’ll stand out too much, even three of us moving together. And if anyone gets caught…” he sighed. “Throw me under the bus. That’s an order. You were doing as you were told, you were lied to, you had no idea what could happen. I told you we were investigating underwater faultlines or some shit. I don’t care. Courtney was right, plea bargaining can reduce your sentence if you’re in less trouble than I am. Offer to inform on me if that’s what it takes.”

“A noble offer, Archibald, but I hope you’re not _planning_ for Shelly and Matthew to get caught,” Marc said dryly, walking into the control room with Kalle hovering at his side like one of the Mightyena that they’d unanimously decided to keep in their pokéballs after it was clear that the animosity in the air was driving them uncontrollably aggressive. “I don’t think jail is the place for Kalle or myself, either, although Courtney seems quite fine with, as you say, throwing us under the bus to get herself a reduced sentence.”

“I just think being a fugitive is more trouble than it’s worth,” Courtney said, rolling her eyes. “You know, you guys could always plead mental instability. Just drive Kalle to one of his aggressive episodes in court and they’ll believe it.”

“Because a top-security hospital is _so_ much more comfortable than a prison,” Kalle snapped.

“Well, it _is_ ,” Courtney pointed out.

 “If Team Sass is done, _I_ want to figure out a plan that _doesn’t_ involve being arrested,” Matt volunteered.

“I don’t know,” Shelly mumbled. “At least I’ll know what happened to Coral…”

“Actually,” Marc said, pointing at the locker, “I think the most important problem is how we’re going to return _those_.”

“The Orbs,” Archie said quietly.

“We can’t keep them,” Marc said sternly. “You know we can’t. We shouldn’t even touch them.”

“So how do we take them back without getting busted?” Kalle asked.

“How indeed,” Marc said, looking thoughtfully at Matt, Shelly and Courtney. “How indeed…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well… this has been a rough week. On Thursday, one of my lecturers finally lost her battle with cancer. She primarily taught singing so I didn’t have her much over the past four years, but I know she was one of the most perpetually upbeat and encouraging people in the world. She always found a harmony for even the worst singers *coughmecough* and could make even a 9am class energetic and happy. I’ll always think of her whenever I hear songs from Avenue Q or Little Shop Of Horrors. 
> 
> And then, of course… the world has suffered a great loss. I’m a big fan of the original Star Trek series, and I don’t mind admitting I’m pretty in love with Spock, but losing Leonard Nimoy is more than that. When I first read that he was gone, I just stopped; I literally sat in front of my laptop with my mouth hanging open until a friend asked what was wrong and I was forced to break the news. It’s the loss of a constant, a person of warmth and comfort, someone that shouldn’t be not there… I didn’t really break down crying until I read his last tweet. “A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP.” That goes for people too. Leonard Nimoy was 83 years old. He lived long, he prospered, and he will always be preserved in memory.
> 
> (The next time I watch Wrath of Khan is going to fucking destroy me, but it’s too good of a movie to avoid forever.)


	43. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 20   
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway, as requested, here are Saylee and Key’s present team lists, and I’ve included Seka, Sei and Jenny’s too because they’re somewhat relevant for this chapter. Is it obtrusive having them up here?
> 
> SAYLEE  
> Zac the Linoone, Molly the Azumarill, Skye the Altaria, Sanborn the Sandslash, Oberon the Bellossom, Nadia the Camerupt
> 
> GUEST STARRING  
> Charlotte the Charizard (from the end of Blood and Bone), Tobias the Togekiss (from After Armageddon and Blood and Bond), Mary the Ampharos (from Blood and Bond), Eric the Espeon (Red’s Espeon), Perun the Pikachu (Red’s Pikachu)
> 
> KEY  
> Thomas the Grovyle, Leslie the Linoone, Python the Mightyena, Manami the Azumarill, Shikoba the Swellow, Topaz the Flygon
> 
> SEKA  
> Edge the Zangoose, Talyn the Mightyena, Ardenol the Sneasel
> 
> SEI  
> Aria the Altaria, Scylla the Vibrava, Charybdis the Shelgon
> 
> JENNY HAWKSHAW  
> Rose the Gardevoir, Mickey the Manectric, Sarah-Jane the Staraptor, Jack the Jolteon

Vermillion Harbour looked different every time Saylee saw it. The port was constantly under construction, the harbour still being expanded to a size equal to the major shipping ports of other countries in the Fairlands, though as it was there were few people travelling in and out of the country and very little that Kanto had to trade. Their major export, twenty years before, had been technology. Kanto had once been one of the foremost innovators in the world; that crown had been taken by countries like Unova during Kanto’s exile from the world at large, and not much in the way of new exports had risen in its place. The only thing they did better than anywhere else, these days, was produce weathered, hardcore trainers and construction workers.

“So, are you Archibald Irving and/or Maximillion Hyland?” Lt Surge asked, greeting Saylee off of the boat.

“Damn, you caught me,” Saylee cursed. “And here I went to all the trouble of squishing my manly, six-foot-plus frame into a tiny five-foot woman. I just can’t win.”

“That’s the price of crime,” Surge said, thumping her on the back. Saylee had long mastered the art of seeing this greeting coming and locking her knees to avoid being knocked into the sea. “Your man not here to greet you?”

“He’s going to have the League on his ass if he leaves his jurisdiction when he’s meant to be patrolling for Archie and Marc,” Saylee sighed. Surge grinned at her just before someone picked her up by the waist from behind, leaving her feet dangling above the ground and making her shriek.

“I won’t tell them if you won’t,” Blue said, giving her a squeeze.

“You’re such a jerk,” Saylee complained, craning around to kiss him. She could feel herself immediately relaxing, all the fear and tension of the months in Hoenn melting away. Even if Marc and Archie hadn’t been caught yet, that didn’t seem to matter…

“You two comin’ up for air anytime soon?” Surge asked after few moments. “I just called every group of builders I know an’ you’re still at it.” Blue and Saylee both shot a look at the conspicuous lack of any sort of phone in his hands. “Ceez. I know you haven’t seen each other for a coupla months, but…”

“Get bent, Surge,” Blue drawled, setting Saylee back on her feet. “Tell me you haven’t gone all law-abiding in Hoenn, Saylee. You’re a ranger. Laws are suggestions.”

“Laws are something that you and I are supposed to _enforce_ ,” Saylee pointed out. “I ought to arrest you for deserting your post.”

“Will handcuffs be involved?” Blue said with a grin.

“Jerk,” Saylee muttered, giving him a shove. “Where should we meet everyone, Lieutenant?”

“The half-built land up on the hill,” Surge said, pointing to a conspicuous spot of empty land between a number of shops and houses. “Nobody’s got the money for supplies to build anything there, and we still don’t have the power connections for full-on replicators. Sucks to be us. Figure it’ll motivate their asses to do a few travel jobs.” He pulled out a Pokénav and started dialling.

“Thanks,” Saylee said, taking Blue’s hand. “C’mon, let’s deal with this and then we can go home. I’ve missed everybody.”

{}

The majority of the groups of builders and constructors that Surge had managed to get together seemed interested in getting to travel and get paid good money to do what they did best. There was a lot of joking about the hot weather and minimal clothing of Hoenn as they headed down to the docks, leaving Surge to see Saylee and Blue off as they selected their flights home.

“Hey, Pete,” Saylee said, stroking the tough beak of Blue’s huge Pidgeot. “How’ve you been?”

“Eh, you know how it is. Patrol, fight idiots, patrol, fight ambitious kids, eat, sleep… the usual,” Pete said, nipping her hair. “Welcome back. Blue’s been kinda broody. You know how he is.”

“I know,” Saylee laughed, releasing Charlotte. “Ready to fly home?”

“Nobody at home is gonna believe me about what happened in Hoenn,” Charlotte sighed.

“Oh, yeah? What _did_ happen, anyway? Nobody in the media seems to know,” Pete asked.

 “C’mon, let’s go home and see if any submarines have washed up,” Blue said, climbing onto Pete’s back. “You can tell us all about it on the way.”

{}

“This… is creepy,” Key said, peering into the cave opening.

“What happened to all the people with tents who were here before?” Manami asked, looking around the muddy field surrounding the broken stone dome that stood to the west of Lilycove City. Between the two was a mass of broken earth and fallen trees, but the land around the dome was curiously undisturbed, the dome itself only sporting a large, weathered crack that allowed access to its interior.

“The archaeologists? They took off for Mt Pyre,” Key said, shining her flashlight into the darkness. The dome didn’t look _that_ large from the outside, but the light didn’t penetrate to the far wall.

“Bet they’re kicking themselves now,” Sei opined. “Check this _out_! I bet humans haven’t walked her for _centuries_! Don’t touch a damn thing without gloves,” she added sharply.

Talyn sniffed at the cave entrance. “Key’s right,” he said. “This place is _creepy_. It doesn’t smell right.”

“It’s like the Ruins of Alph,” Jenny said, rubbing her arms as she peered inside.

“What’re they?” Key asked.

“They’re a set of old temples near Violet City in Johto,” Jenny explained. “I grew up there, because my… my mum worked there.”

 “You told me she was researching the creepy Pokémon that lived there, right?” Seka said.

“The Unown… and the gods, yeah,” Jenny agreed. She bit her lip. “I’ve been in them a lot, but only ever with Mum… I… I wish she was here now.” She smiled tremulously. “Makes me sound like a little girl, huh?” She yelped as Seka and Key hugged her from opposite sides.

“It’s fine to want your mom when facing creepy eldritch abominations!” Key insisted.

“Besides, she was a scientist who knew all about this kind of thing,” Seka agreed. “It would’ve come in handy.”

“I don’t know if this’ll help any, Jenny, but your mom was one of the brightest people I ever got to study with, and she was everything I want to be when I grow up,” Sei said.

“Thanks,” Jenny said with a smile. “I’m sure she’d love that.”

“So are we going in or can I run for it?” Talyn asked.

“Sure takes a lot to freak _you_ out,” Seka said, letting go of Jenny and scratching her Mightyena’s ears. “I can put you in your pokéball if you like, go in with Edge instead…”

“Are you kidding? I smell Seviper all over the place around here. You know he’ll run off and get back into gang fights,” Talyn snapped. “If we’re going, let’s _go_.”

Jenny paced back and forth in front of the dome. “Did it open during the Calamity?” she wondered aloud. “Everyone’s been working on the cities. Nobody’s had any time to notice if an old archaeological curiosity cracked…”

“Maybe this is where some of those things Steven had came from?” Manami suggested. “The Guardians surrounded Sootopolis, did they not? Maybe some were sealed down here…”

Thomas dropped down next to her. “There’s some holes on top of the dome,” he said. “Some kinda pattern. I don’t know what.”

“Can you draw it on the ground?” Jenny asked, wiping her foot across the mud to create a flat patch. Thomas dotted his finger in it, creating the pattern. “Hmm…”

“What is it?” Seka asked. “Is it writing?”

“I think it’s gibberish… no, wait!” Sei walked around the patch. “It was upside-down. It says ‘steel’. Why steel?”

“Primitive crime syndicate?” Seka suggested. Talyn sniggered.

“Warriors of stone, ice and steel,” Key mumbled. “Lee said something about that…”

“The way that woman talks you’d think she can’t walk five steps without tripping over a god or relic or something,” Thomas grumbled.

“Where is she, anyway?” Sei asked, looking around as if expecting the ranger to pop out of a bush.

“She went back to Kanto,” Key said. “She wanted to see her boyfriend and get some labourers hired to come help with the rebuilding.”

Sei sighed. “Too bad. She seemed to know what was going on in Sootopolis… Never mind. Shall we go?” She ran over to the dome, running her hand over the fissure. “Fascinating. The rock’s worn, like this crack has always been here…” She released a Shelgon. “Chary, what do you think of this stone?”

The round grey Pokémon nudged the stone thoughtfully, then headbutted it full-force. He didn’t leave a mark. “I’d hate to see whatever made this kind of crack in it,” he observed. He stepped inside.

“Hey, Chary, wait!” Sei cried, running after him.

“What is it?!” Key called, running after her. She ran into Sei’s back, knocking both of them to the ground.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Jenny hissed. Key looked around wildly, but she couldn’t see the older woman, nor could she see the light of the entrance, even though she’d only gone a few steps. She reached out and was relieved to find Jenny’s hand.

“Sei, do you have Chary?” she asked, groping for her friend’s arm.

“Yeah… wow, I can’t see the entrance,” Sei said, sounding fascinated instead of terrified.

“I have one foot in the entrance and one arm out, with Seka holding onto it,” Jenny said conversationally. “Come back now, okay?”

“C’mon, Sei,” Key said. “I hear the last time this place was forced open, people disappeared. A _lot_ of people.”

“That’s true, but we didn’t force it open,” Sei pointed out. “We’re not intruders, we’re—ah!”

Something glowed in the darkness. Key felt a chill run down her spine as she found herself staring into a huge, round, unblinking white eye. It floated past her, illuminating Jenny’s face.

“You… are you River?” Jenny said in surprise. “River the Unown?”

“That’s what your mother called me,” River giggled, circling Jenny’s head. “Are you here to follow in her footsteps, tiny one?”

“Tiny?” Sei said in surprise. “I could fit you in the palm of my hand!”

“The bit you can see, yeah,” Chary mumbled uncomfortably. “Uh, Sei… I don’t think we should mess with the Unown… we should get out of here…”

“River’s okay,” Jenny insisted. “My… my Mum talked about you… she said you were very helpful.”

“I like minds like your mother’s,” River said, flitting back over to Sei. “Yours too. You’re not afraid when you can learn something new. That’s fun!”

“ _Should_ we be afraid?” Key asked.

“You aren’t trespassers!” River insisted. “The guardians of steel have returned to sleep, but the Master has left the door open, should humanity need their protection again. That is what they are for, and we can trust again that they will be used for protection, not war.”

“So we won’t vanish like the last group to come in here?” Sei asked.

River giggled again. “They didn’t _vanish,_ silly!” the Unown explained. “They’re still here!” It flashed, and the dome was lit up.

In the middle of the floor was a pit; a staircase curved down into it, disappearing into the shadows. Surrounding the pit were many huge icicles. Sei got up, going curiously towards one and then jerked back with a yelp.

“There’s—there’s _people_ in them!” she cried. “Oh, that’s… _disgusting_ …”

“I don’t want to look,” Key muttered. “What do they look like?”

Sei drew closer to the icicle again with an expression of fascinated horror. “They’re frozen… perfectly preserved,” she said. “It looks like they’re screaming…”

“Are they still… alive?” Jenny asked River sharply.

“Wellllll… they aren’t _dead_ ,” River said evasively. “But it’s okay. They were trespassers and thieves and _soldiers…_ ”

“Look at this guy! This is twentieth-century armour!” Sei cried, continuing through the icicles. “And this one! Seventeenth! These people have been here for millennia and… _they could still be alive?_ ”

“They had no right to the Guardians,” River said loftily. “But you do, now. You will need their protection.”

“From Groudon and Kyogre?” Key asked. River giggled and vanished.

“…Mum said that they do that a lot,” Jenny muttered. “C-C’mon… we need to get the emergency services. We need to get these icicles out of here and get these people out.” She held her hand out to Sei. “Let’s _go_!”

“Won’t it be considered thieving if we do?” Seka asked nervously.

“Well, we’re not taking anything that _belongs_ here…” Sei pointed out, lingering by an icicle. “Look at this woman… that spear she’s holding has to be from—”

“SEI, COME ON!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a reminder, the OCs in the last scene are Jenny Hawkshaw, who’s taking the gym challenge and whose mother was recently murdered; Seka, who grew up in the Petalburg Orphanage and is travelling with Jenny to take the gym challenge; and Sei, who also used to live at the orphanage but is studying to be an archaeologist, studied under Jenny’s mother and brought the Emerald Orb back to Hoenn.
> 
> Also, after a SUPER NICE AND WONDERFUL person, Songwithnosoul (who did a really cute drawing of Silver and Tyra that you can see on the DA art page, sayleeandkeynuzruns) recced me on DA, I started thinking that it’s way beyond time I actually had a title for this series. Originally, I was only going to write After Armageddon, but fics just kept happening and now I have a pretty large, long-running series that’s gonna be running for a while longer and I don’t really have a way of referring to them as a whole aside from “my nuzlockes” XP So I’m curious: what do you guys call this series, if you call it anything?


	44. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee  
> Pokémon: 20  
> Deaths: 7
> 
> Key  
> Pokémon: 29  
> Deaths: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SAYLEE  
> Zac the Linoone, Molly the Azumarill, Skye the Altaria, Sanborn the Sandslash, Oberon the Bellossom, Nadia the Camperupt
> 
> GUEST STARRING  
> Charlotte the Charizard (from the end of Blood and Bone), Tobias the Togekiss (from After Armageddon and Blood and Bond), Mary the Ampharos (from Blood and Bond), Eric the Espeon (Red’s Espeon), Perun the Pikachu (Red’s Pikachu)
> 
> KEY  
> Thomas the Grovyle, Leslie the Linoone, Python the Mightyena, Manami the Azumarill, Shikoba the Swellow, Topaz the Flygon
> 
> BLUE  
> Sam the Blastoise, Pete the Pidgeot, Adam the Alakazam, Gary the Arcanine, Mario the Machamp, Edgar the Exeggutor

“Hey, Mum!” Saylee said happily as the video connection picked up.

“ _Saylee! Hello, sweetheart,_ ” her mother said happily, leaning towards the screen. “ _Happy birthday! It’s good to see your face… oh, goodness, Saylee, what did you do to your neck?_ ”

Saylee winced, touching the welts from Python’s fangs. “It’s not important, Mum. They don’t show that much.”

“ _Of course it’s important, sweetie, otherwise you wouldn’t have kept the scars,_ ” her mother pointed out perceptively. “ _What happened_?”

“My Mightyena died in a battle,” Saylee admitted, “and her mate wasn’t happy. It’s fine now. He was just angry and grieving. Key returned him, and he’s fine now.”

“ _Oh, Saylee… you know, it’s nice to think of you travelling with a human, but if she can’t control her Pokémon…_ ” her mother sighed.

“Mum! It’s not that. Key’s a good trainer,” Saylee said defensively. “Like I said… his mate just died. He was grieving. Anyone could lose it. It wasn’t like I was seriously hurt, and he apologized later, anyway.”

 _“You’re too forgiving, sweetheart._ ”

“I’m really not,” Saylee said. “The people really responsible for Polly’s death, and Winnie, William and Teddy’s… Marc, Archie and their cronies… they’re still out there somewhere, and if I find them first, they’re going to hospital before they go to jail.”

“ _This Archibald Irving and Maximillion Hyland?_ ” Byron said, wandering into the shot and sitting down on the couch next to his wife. “ _No sign of them here in Sinnoh, if that’s any help, or their four assistants. Good to see you, by the way. Soon as the news channels here started talking about the storms in Hoenn, Jo started fretting up a storm about you, and I had to talk the kid out of flying out to come find you!_ ”

“I’m glad he wasn’t there,” Saylee said fervently. _Silver couldn’t have done anything against Groudon and Kyogre, even with his powers… Wally getting caught up in the middle of it was bad enough._ “There’s been no sign of Marc or Archie here, either. That submarine was getting stocked up for a serious long-term undersea expedition. They could stay down there for months, or even years…”

“ _But they won’t, because they’ll go stir-crazy,_ ” Byron pointed out. “ _Most people go stir-crazy from a few hours too many in a_ cav _e, let alone a sealed little chamber under the sea. They’ll either surface or go nuts and kill each other._ ”

“I hope they don’t. I can’t lock them up if they’re dead,” Saylee growled. “Never mind them, though. Where _is_ Silver?”

“ _He just moved to Oreburgh two days ago,_ ” her mother sighed, looking genuinely saddened by her stepson striking out on his own. “ _He passed all the necessary tests to become the Oreburgh Leader, and he’s set himself to his apprenticeship with the previous Leader. He’s been calling every day to let us know how he’s doing, and he seems to be enjoying himself. Apparently they’ve got a huge fossil collection there._ ”

“That’s good,” Saylee said with a smile. “Can you give me his number so I can call him next?”

“ _Sure, sweetie,_ ” her mother said, leaning over to her keyboard and typing up the number. It appeared at the bottom of the screen. Saylee added it to her pokégear.

“ _Are you back in Kanto for long_?” Byron asked.

“Well, I promised to go back to Hoenn to see my friend Key compete in the Hoenn League,” Saylee said, “but until then—” She glanced at her Pokégear as it buzzed, the caller ID flagging up _Lavender Ranger Station_. “I’m really sorry, I’ve gotta take this,” she said apologetically.

“ _Don’t worry about it,_ ” her mother said, looking at the Pokégear with concern.

“Saylee here,” Saylee said, picking up.

“ _Sar Kanto?_ ” a woman’s voice said. “ _This is Patricia. I’m a priestess at Lavender Tower._ ”

“Hi, Patricia,” Saylee said, frowning. “Is something the matter? Why are you calling from the ranger station? Where are the rangers?”

“ _There are two here, Hope and Zeke, but they’re both unconscious… I think they’ve been attacked. They’re bleeding, but they’re alive, and I already called the hospital in Saffron to come get them._ ”

“They were attacked?” Saylee said, standing up and drawing a slightly incredulous scowl from Blue as he wandered into the room.

 “Hey, Jo. Hey, Byron,” he said, waving at the TV—Jo mouthed ‘ _Happy Birthday_ ’ and gave him a thumbs-up—before turning his attention back to Saylee. “Who got attacked?” he asked.

“Lavender ranger outpost,” Saylee muttered. “Patricia, do you know who attacked them?”

“ _I think it might have been the… odd group of people who came into the Tower, asking for Mr Fuji. There was a young man, blond, grey suit, who came in, saying he wanted to talk about funeral arrangements… but when I gave him directions to Mr Fuji’s, I saw him leave, and a group of other people were waiting outside and followed him. They were all dressed in the same odd grey clothes, and they had green hair…_ ”

“Grey and green…? Hey, Blue, do you have the Ghaliya picture?” Saylee asked, briefly covering the mouthpiece on her Pokégear.

“ _Is everything alright, sweetheart_?” Johanna asked, leaning forwards.

“This one?” Blue said, pulling up the picture drawn from the memories of a dying Girafarig on his own Pokégear. It was a fuzz of vague colour, but there were some shapes that could be human that were mostly grey with green on top.

“Some people who _might_ be the people in this picture just turned up at Lavender Town and might have attacked the rangers there,” Saylee said, returning to her pokégear conversation. “Patricia, did you see anybody with purple hair?”

“ _No, just the blond man and his green-haired friends… they’re chasing people away from Mr Fuji’s, and people have heard them arguing… the ghosts are starting to get agitated. That was why I came for the rangers, but…_ ”

“I’ll be right there,” Saylee promised, standing up and mouthing ‘sorry’ to her mother and stepfather. They both mouthed ‘Good luck’ back and switched off the video call. “Where are Carrie and the other Marowak? Where’s Hernan?”

“ _One of the oldest Marowak just died. They’re serving her funeral down in their catacombs. None of us dare go down there. Hernan and Tobias are the only ones that can go down there that aren’t Cubone or Marowak. Without them, the only ones who can calm the ghosts are Mr Fuji and Hayley, but…_ ”

“Get every living person you can reach to the Ranger station,” Saylee ordered. “I’ll fetch Mr Fuji.” She hung up. “I’ve gotta go,” she said apologetically to Blue.

“Yeah, anybody agitating the ghosts is bad news,” Blue said, pocketing his Pokégear. “I’ll come with you.”

“You don’t have to,” Saylee said, gripping his hand. “I mean, if the ghosts are getting riled up…”

Blue shuddered. “Yeah, that freaks me out,” he admitted, “but so does sitting in a corner sucking my thumb while my girlfriend goes to fight murder suspects.” He squeezed her hand back. “C’mon. Let’s go so we can come back. I think Daisy has cupcakes planned.”

Saylee nodded, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Then they went down to the main training hall where most of their Pokémon were relaxing for the afternoon. “We have a situation in Lavender Town,” she announced loudly, drawing their attention. “Who wants to come resolve it?”

“Ooh, I hate that place,” Charlotte said with a shudder. “It’s so creepy.”

“What’s happening in Lavender Town?” Tobias asked sharply.

“Professor Hawkshaw’s killers are there, or people who dress like them,” Saylee explained, returning Nadia, Molly and Zac as they hurried over to her.

“Are they after the graves, then?” Mary asked nervously.

“Could be,” Saylee said, continuing to return Perun, Eric, Oberon, Skye and Sanborn as they each, in turn, raised paw or wing to indicate a desire to come help. “Could be the graves. Or it could be…” _We’re best off if they’re picking a fight with Hernan and Carrie’s clan. At least_ they _can control their power._

“C’mon, let’s go,” Blue said, returning a selection of his own Pokémon and climbing onto Pete’s back. Saylee returned Tobias and Mary and climbed into Chaz’s old harness on Charlotte’s back. Above them, Steele and Sheska pulled the hatch in the roof open, allowing them to fly out. “If we get out there fast enough, the only people they’ll get to pick a fight with are us.”

{}

“My gods,” Henry muttered, polishing his glasses. An archaeological camp had sprung up around the dome again, featuring as many police officers as archaeologists. Attempts to go down the stairs in the middle of the cavern had been driven back by the Unown, but the mysterious little Pokémon didn’t seem to object to the icicles being removed. One of the oldest ones, of a lady in seventeenth-century armour, had been set up in a container surrounded by heat lamps. The ice hadn’t melted in eight hours of exposure; the floor around it was bone dry. A call had gone out for trainers with Slugma and Macargo to bring them to crawl over the ice, although people were questioning if it was ice at all. It didn’t melt, and not even a sliver could be chipped off.

“They’re almost all soldiers,” Key said, looking around at the various icicle people being set up within the police cordon. “It’s only the recent ones that are researchers…”

“Well, all the old scriptures say that the Regis were made for humanity to protect and help them,” Sei said, skimming through dozens of scans of old texts on the media reader in her hands. “ _All_ humanity, not any group in particular. Look, here’s a story from the sixth century about the Regis of two different villages vanishing as soon as they went to war… they returned three hundred years later, and vanished again as soon as they were forced into battle against each other… on and off, all through history.”

“So you’re saying that, basically, they got taken away until we learned to play nicely?” Jenny said, looking around at the icicles. “And anyone who tried to force the issue…”

“I wonder what’s changed now, though,” Megan said with a frown. “Why are we being allowed access again, not only to the sleeping place of the Regis, but to retrieve the bodies of the people taken by the Unown…?” She hurried off towards the icicles, glowing with scientific curiosity.

“I can hazard a guess,” Thomas muttered.

Key dragged him away from the other humans as Seka and Jenny leaned over to read something on Sei’s media reader. “Do you know what this is about?” she asked quietly.

Thomas rolled his eyes. “Obvious, isn’t it?” he muttered. “Regular humans proved plenty of times that they couldn’t be trusted to use the Regis properly. But now you’ve got your humans that are more than that. The Regis aren’t for _you_ to use—they’re for _them._ ”

“I disagree,” Manami said. “They were made to protect humans, not be used by them. So now they’re needed to protect humans again…”

Key stiffened.  “You mean… from the Orbs being misused?” she said. “From Groudon and Kyogre’s power being misused?”

“She’s got a point,” Thomas conceded. “I wouldn’t trust those Magma or Aqua assholes to use a Magikarp safely, never mind the power of the gods.”

“…I think we need to go to Mt Pyre,” Key said, remembering that Saylee had left the shards there—the last fragments of Groudon and Kyogre’s power. “I think we need to go to Mt Pyre _right now._ ”

{}

Lavender Town, even on a good day, was wreathed in the light purple mist from which the town took its name. The tall, stately tower that rose half-out of the mountainside was actually something of a calming sight on a good day; the pale, weathered stone and the thick vegetation growing from the ancient masonry could be quite pleasant to look at.

The black mist starting to pour from the tower windows told Saylee that today was not a good day.

“They’re outside Mr Fuji’s,” Blue called, pointing down at the group of people outside of the largest house still standing near the tower. As they circled downwards, they saw that three green-haired individuals were standing back and watching silently as a blond young man in a grey suit spoke to an irate-looking Mr Fuji.

“Nobody move,” Blue ordered as Charlotte and Pete landed either side of the group. Blue immediately released Sam and Mario—his huge, tough Blastoise and Machamp. Saylee released Mary and Tobias. Tobias stared up at the Tower with a concerned expression.

“Good grief,” the blond young man said in surprise, actually spinning on the spot to stare wide-eyed at Saylee. “What a lot of frightening-looking people. Can I help you at all?”

“I’m taking you all in for questioning about the assault on two rangers near here and the murder of Professor Melody Hawkshaw,” Saylee said, walking up to the blond. “All of you please come quietly to the nearest ranger station. Are they bothering you, Mr Fuji?” she asked.

“They sure are, coming around here and asking questions about scientific research or some rubbish,” Mr Fuji said, crossing his arms and scowling. “I don’t know if you know anything about Kanto, mister, but I can’t remember what I was doing before twenty years ago, so it don’t mean a damn thing to me what documents you found my name on!”

“What? …Right,” Blue said, narrowing his eyes on the strangers. “C’mon, you lot, let’s leave Mr Fuji alone and go for a walk.” Sam clicked out her cannons, and Mario started physically pushing the three green-haired people towards the road to Saffron.

“Excuse _me_! We aren’t doing anything wrong!” the blond complained, releasing a fat blue-and-white feline Pokémon that Saylee didn’t recognize. “Who do you think you are, trying to _arrest_ us? Get them!”

Saylee stepped back as Charlotte jumped in to intercept the blue-and-white Pokémon as it leapt at Saylee with a hiss, claws extended. The three green-haired people, who had been standing quietly throughout the altercation, suddenly leapt into action, releasing a trio of Golbat that Wing Attacked Mario to the ground. They also released several round, blue, metallic Pokémon that lifted Sam off of the ground with some kind of psychic energy.

“Mary, get those Golbat!” Saylee ordered. “Tobias… can you do anything about those blue… whatever they are?”

“They’re psychics,” Tobias said, flicking his wings to send a barrage of Shadow Balls at the blue psychics. Mario got up as Mary zapped the Golbat away and punched out the fat Pokémon that Charlotte was grappling with.

“Nice try, guys,” Blue said, grabbing one of the green-haired people and forcing their hands behind their back while Sam lifted the other two by their necks. “That wasn’t suspicious at all…”

“You’re all under arrest,” Saylee said, stalking towards the blond man, who smiled in an unsettling way and pulled a remote out of his pocket.

“Look, I didn’t wanna do this…” he sighed, holding up the remote, “but there’s twenty-four blast charges connected to this button _here_. Wanna guess where they are?” Saylee glanced up at the tower. “Bingo! We figured we might have to… negotiate aggressively to get the lowdown on the Mew Two project, so we prepared a few party favours.”

“Threatening all those graves…” Mr Fuji gasped, wringing his hands. “What kind of evil are you?!”

“Evil? Don’t be melodramatic!” the blond said, rolling his eyes. “We’re going to make a better world! Knowing how to manipulate the power of the gods would help, buuuuuut…” He smiled over Saylee and Blue’s Pokémon, frozen still and watching the detonator in her hand. “Every little helps! Your Pokémon look cool! Line up over there and show ‘em all to me!”

“What the hell are you blabbering about?” Blue demanded.

The man waved the detonator at the ruined shell of the old house across from Mr Fuji’s, reconstruction work having never really reached Lavender Town like the rest of Kanto. “You and your girlfriend stand in front of that wall and release _all_ of your Pokémon,” he ordered with a grin. “I wanna see ‘em all! But tell ‘em that if they attack, the Tower blows.”

“I think I know what he’s planning,” Saylee murmured to Blue, “and it’s going to blow up in his face, hopefully not literally. Just go along with it.” Blue sulked but did so, standing with his back to the wall and releasing Gary, his Arcanine, Ryan, his Rhyhorn, and Adam, his Alakazam. Saylee released Zac, Molly, Nadia, Skye, Oberon and Sanborn and explained to them that they had to obey the blond human or graves would be blown up.

“Ummmm… but if they’re threatening graves,” Molly said, looking around in confusion, “won’t it be like Mt Pyre when—”

“Probably,” Saylee muttered. “What now, blondie?”

“My name is _Mercury_ , not _blondie_ ,” Mercury said loftily. “Now I want you to take the empty pokéballs and crush them. Every single one. Or else…” he waved the detonator in the air.

“Yeah, yeah, we get it, you psycho,” Blue grumbled, dropping his pokéballs to the ground one at a time and grinding them under his heel. Saylee did the same while her Pokémon watched curiously.

“You’d think you’d feel something when they do that,” Zac commented.

“You’ll feel it soon,” Mercury promised, looking to his subordinates. “Right, you three! Get out some Ultra Balls and catch all of these Pokémon! Go in the pokéballs quietly and no harm will come to the Tower or your trainers,” he added sweetly to the Pokémon.

 _Pokéballs don’t control a Pokémon’s mind,_ Saylee thought. _The first time he tries to use any of them, they’ll destroy him. And I know Tobias can get out of his pokéball of his own will._

 _As can I,_ Adam’s voice said in her head and, presumably, Blue’s. _I expected it would be something along those lines, but I must warn you that it will not get that far…_

Saylee jumped as something cold touched her ankle. She looked down to see clammy black smoke flowing across the ground, roughly at mid-calf and rising every second.

“Wh-what the hell is this?!” Mercury screamed as black mist enveloped him. Saylee heard more screaming but, thankfully, no explosions.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, dropping to the ground with her hands over her ears as howling filled her brain. She reached for Blue, who was shaking violently, staring blank-eyed into the mists. “I’m sorry, I’m trying to protect you, I swear I am…”

The screaming faded as Mary and Tobias approached, the latter of whom was glowing brightly. “I’ve told them all to leave you alone,” the Togekiss said. “They will… they’re focusing on _them._ ”

“I wish I could return everyone,” Saylee muttered. With Tobias protecting her, the mist didn’t seem as dark; she could see through it to where the rest of her Pokémon were shivering in fright while Mercury and his three lackeys writhed and screamed on the ground. Mr Fuji was standing serenely over them, holding the detonator with a disgusted expression.

“We’d better at least call for them to get closer,” Blue said shakily. “PETE! SAM! MARIO! GARY! RYAN! FOLLOW MY VOICE!”

“ZAC!” Saylee shouted. “MOLLY! SANBORN! CHARL—huh?”

There was a pink _flash_ as something appeared next to Mr Fuji. “Grandpa?” a girl of about twelve said, grabbing Mr Fuji’s arm and staring in confusion at the smoke. “What’s going on?” She turned to the other figure that had appeared with her. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, no, no, no,” Saylee gasped as she recognized the strange, pale figure of Mewtwo in the smoke. The hugely powerful psychic had raised its bulbous fingers to its forehead, pressing them down hard as he slowly sank to his knees. He looked like he was in immense pain. “EVERYONE GET AWAY NOW!”

“TELEPORT AWAY!” Mr Fuji shouted desperately. “YOU CANNOT TAKE THIS, YOU KNOW YOU CAN’T! YOU MUST FLEE, YOU MUST—”

Then Mewtwo screamed in pain. There was a flash of light, and then darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Thursday, Sir Terry Pratchett died, with a cat sleeping on him and his family around him. As ways to go, it’s pretty good. 
> 
> When I was about twelve, my dad gave me his copy of The Wee Free Men to read. It was transformative. I read it while eating, while walking to and from school, while I was in the bath, sneaking it under my desk to read when I was bored in maths, staying up to read it until I passed out on the pages. I was enraptured by Tiffany Aching and the Nac Mac Feegle and a story about stories. I was ecstatic when I found out there were more than thirty more books in the same world by the same author (although I was initially disappointed that they weren’t all about Tiffany). I read them all, and then I read them again and again and again, and I still reread them now and find new things in them every day. The Discworld series changed my life and changed me. These books have moulded so many of my beliefs, my morality, how I feel about people and the world. They infected me with Sir Pterry’s tremendous love of words and stories. Reading Discworld was the point where my love of reading started to spill back out into an interest and love of writing. Because of Terry Pratchett I love crafting stories and want to spend my life doing it. I write because of Terry Pratchett and the world he created atop four elephants on the back of a gigantic turtle. So much of who I am is because of him, and that world, and the people in it. To me, this is so much more than the loss of a celebrity. It’s the loss of somebody who made me who I am, a loss that tore at me when I found it out, and the world is a lesser place for his no longer being in it.
> 
> But it’s also so, so much greater for his having been here, and how very blessed we are that he left so much of himself behind. The Disc remains, the stories remain, and we are all gifted.
> 
> If you’ve never read any Discworld book, I cannot give you any better life advice than to do one of two things: either pick up The Wee Free Men, Guards! Guards! Or Wyrd Sisters as a starter and let the light of Discworld into your life, or, if you can’t access the books, look up Mark Oshiro’s “Mark Reads Discworld” series on YouTube. Mark has so far read I think nine of the books, aloud and on-camera, so his videos are kinda like a free audiobook while also including Mark’s commentary and theorization, which I love because it transports me back to the feeling of experiencing the Discworld for the first time. Please check Discworld out. You will never read anything that will do more for your mind and your soul.
> 
> In memory—because I think he’d like people creating because they were inspired by him, almost as much as he liked orang-utans—I’m trying to get a bit more serious about writing a fantasy novel that I’ve been rolling around for a while by blogging daily on the tumblr “burnthatbridge”. The novel is called We’ll Burn That Bridge When We Come To It and has its original basis in this very nuzlocke world; I more or less came up with the idea by taking some of the characters I created for this ‘verse and transporting them into a fantasy setting, and then suddenly worldbuilding and politics and fictional history and mythology and elves and dwarves and dryads and kelpies and fairies all happened and it stopped being a joke and started being a legit idea. Please check it out if fantasy is your thing :)
> 
>  
> 
> Finally, I feel like I should announce that I finished writing the first draft of Calamity Calls some months ago and as such what happened here in Lavender and what happened next are not me taking my grief out on the readership. At least, not Pratchett-related grief…


	45. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 18   
> Deaths: 11
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SAYLEE  
> Skye the Altaria, Nadia the Camerupt
> 
> GUEST STARRING  
> Charlotte the Charizard (from the end of Blood and Bone), Tobias the Togekiss (from After Armageddon and Blood and Bond), Mary the Ampharos (from Blood and Bond), Eric the Espeon (Red’s Espeon), Perun the Pikachu (Red’s Pikachu)
> 
> KEY  
> Thomas the Grovyle, Leslie the Linoone, Python the Mightyena, Manami the Azumarill, Shikoba the Swellow, Topaz the Flygon

Mt. Pyre, as ever, was wreathed too thickly in mist to make a landing high up, so Key and Shikoba landed among the lower graves.

“I hate this place,” Shikoba said with a shudder. “What if Polly’s ghost is still here?”

“Then Python can talk to her,” Key said, tapping her Mightyena’s pokéball. “But… it seems quiet now… I don’t see any spirits. Maybe there’s nothing here.”

“We’re here before Marc and Archie, hmmm?” Shikoba said, looking around.

“I hope we are,” Key said, hurrying up the mountain.

A few Vulpix spied on them from behind gravestones, but on the whole, the mountain was peaceful and serene, which was no doubt the way it was meant to be. Key and Shikoba were within sight of the home of the old couple on top of the mountain before they saw other human beings.

Those human beings were Matt and Shelly.

“You!” Key shouted angrily, releasing Thomas and Leslie. Shelly reached for her belt, then stopped, scowling.

“Calm down. We don’t have any Pokémon with us just now,” Matt said steadily. “We’re not here to fight.”

“What are you here for, then?” Key demanded. “Where are the Orbs?”

“In there,” Shelly said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at the house. “We didn’t touch the old people. We just handed over the Orbs, and I’m pretty sure the old folks called the police, so they’ll probably be here soon for us.”

“What the hell are you on about?” Thomas asked. “You seriously expect us to believe you’re giving yourselves up?”

“You don’t have to believe us, but we’re not running anymore,” Matt said with a shrug. “We didn’t mean for things to go this way, but they did, and we agreed that we need to make up for it.”

“Well… _Archie’s_ getting the hell out of here, but while we can plea-bargain our sentences down, nothing’ll stop _him_ going away for twelve billion years,” Shelly said, also shrugging. “But we don’t know where he’s going, so we can’t tell you anything.”

“I still vote we beat them down until they feel more trustworthy,” Thomas offered.

“I’m game,” Shikoba agreed.

“Don’t you _dare_ start a fight on this sacred ground!” the lady gravekeeper roared, charging out of the house and pointing at Key. “The police are on their way, young lady, and _you_ two!” She rounded on Matt and Shelly. “You stay right here until they arrive and we’ll speak up on your behalf.” Her angry glare softened. “Thank you for returning the Orbs. Doesn’t make a damn bit of difference to what’s already done, but… thank you.”

“They… really returned them?” Key said in surprise. The old lady nodded.

“What do we do?” Shikoba asked Key.

“We’ll guard them until the police arrive to make _sure_ they don’t get away,” Key said firmly, walking towards Matt and Shelly.

“We already told you we aren’t going anywhere,” Shelly said, crossing her arms and turning away in irritation. “For what it’s worth, even if you don’t care… we really are sorry for everything that happened. We never meant for…” Her glare crumpled into sorrow. “And… tell your friend we’re sorry about the deaths of her Pokémon. For what it’s worth.”

“Archie plans to go far away and learn to be the kind of man who can make up for what he’s caused,” Matt said, rummaging in his pocket. “One day, he hopes, he’ll be able to atone for everything that happened here. Here…” he held out something wrapped in paper. “He trial-ran his disguise, and it seems to have worked. Fooled a shopkeeper at a location that I’m not gonna reveal, at least. He said, if we saw you or your friend, to give this to you with his apologies.”

Key took the paper and unwrapped it, then pressed her hand to her mouth as she very nearly cried at the sight of the glass-and-metalwork Beautifly hairpin.

Leslie reared up on her hind legs to peer at the pin, then licked Key’s hand, staring up silently at her.

“A Beautifly… like Wanda…?” Thomas said, glaring at Matt. “What the hell are you trying to pull?”

“Not a damn thing,” Matt said, holding his hands in the air. “Just relaying the message because Archie’s an idiot. Maybe he’s wishing he’d listened when you yelled his ear off back at Mt Chimney, huh?”

“There they are,” Shelly said, pointing as five blue-clad police officers came running up the path towards them. “See you. Hopefully not any time soon, but, y’know…” She walked off with her hands in the air.

“Shel, wait up!” Matt called, running after her. Key clutched the hairpin, watching them go.

“Come on in for some tea, dear, you look like you’re about to cry,” the old lady said gently, putting her arm around Key’s shoulders. “You can watch us put the Orbs back together for the first time in thousands of years, how about that?”

“Sure,” Key said, watching the police officers cuff Shelly and Matt and then looking down to the pin. _Archie… what are you thinking? Where are you going?_

{}

“I’m sorry,” the nurse said to Saylee. “His healing factor’s shut down. There’s nothing more we can do… I’m so sorry.”

Saylee leaned on the glass, peering into the surgery where Zac lay, sliced open by Psycho Cut and only barely alive thanks to the machines surrounding him. The surgeons had declared it a lost cause while Saylee was still unconscious, hurt too badly to survive the transfer to a pokéball and a healing machine. All that life support was doing was keeping Zac alive long enough for his trainer to be cleared to leave her own hospital room and come say goodbye.

“Can I go in there?” she asked. The nurse nodded, using her ID to open the door for her. Saylee slowly walked in, her body still feeling like one huge bruise and making all movement stiff and sore. She leaned over the table, stroking Zac’s ears gently and then pulling away the anaesthesia mask with her left hand. Her eyes kept finding the terrible wounds. The edges of them were twisted where Mewtwo had attempted to make reparations by healing some of his victims, but healing was not what the powerful psychic had been made for. It was not in his nature. None of his attempts had been successful.

“…can’t feel… anythin’…” Zac mumbled, flicking his ears weakly. He managed to half-open his eyes, peering fuzzily at Saylee. She shifted to try and hide the sling her right arm was in. “Everyone else… okay…?”

“Yes,” Saylee lied, stroking his ears. “Everyone’s going to be okay, I promise.”

“S… sure it is…” Zac said weakly. “Good… somebody gotta look after Les… while I’m… hurt… tell Sanborn… he’s alright, right…?”

“I’ll tell him,” Saylee lied, forcing herself to smile. Zac needed to believe that things would be okay. He didn’t need to know that Sanborn had died yesterday morning, ten hours of emergency surgery failing to save him, and Oberon hadn’t even made it to the hospital in Saffron alive. Sanborn had been standing too close, close enough for the brutal cuts to slice through even a Sandslash’s tough hide enough to cut open his heart, and Bellossom were just too fragile… “I’m sure Leslie can’t wait to see her big brother again.”

“Yeah…” Zac’s eyes drifted closed again. “Sleepy… let ‘er know I’ll see her… when I… wake…”

Saylee stayed there, stroking his ears and listening to the heart monitor slow to a steady _beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep_. The nurse came in and muttered a confirmation of the time of death before beginning to unplug Zac from the machines.

“I should… look in on my Azumarill,” Saylee said, getting to her feet and rubbing her throat in an attempt to dispel the lump. She couldn’t reassure Molly if she was crying, and she knew she didn’t have time to waste. Receiving the news of first Oberon and then Sanborn’s death while she was still in hospital, recovering from the surgery that had barely saved her arm, had been too much. Knowing that she couldn’t’ even be there with them as they died... “Will you… look after him?”

“Of course,” the nurse promised, wrapping an old blanket around Zac. “We’ll send him to Lavender with the others… you don’t have to go anywhere. This is our only outfitted surgery, so we’ll be bringing your Azumarill in next if we can… as soon as we can stabilize her.” The nurse picked up Zac and hurried away with him.

Saylee leaned back against the wall, watching as a Chansey bustled in and started cleaning up the surgery and prepping it for the next one.

Blue limped in a moment later. He hadn’t been directly hit by any of the psychic blades, but he’d been flung across the ground by the shockwave and badly twisted his ankle. He wrapped his arms around Saylee and rested his chin on her head. “That nurse is too scared to tell you,” he said softly, “but Molly isn’t going to be stabilized. They’re telling you that they’re trying because they’re too scared to admit that when you’ve been trying to help a Pokémon with torn-up lungs to breathe on their own for two days without the wounds healing, that means that they’re not going to heal. She can’t go in a pokéball and they can’t operate on her…”

“She’s going to anyway, isn’t she,” Saylee said hoarsely. “Her too…” she clutched at Blue’s arms and felt his grip tighten.

“That goddamned, overpowered, tantruming…” he growled.

“Mewtwo can’t control his powers, especially when his mind’s overloaded, we know that,” Saylee said, breathing rapidly, trying to calm the edge of panic. “If it weren’t for Mercury… they were there for Mewtwo, weren’t they?”

“Yeah, and anyone taking an interest in Mewtwo can’t be up to any good,” Blue muttered. “As if the trying to steal our Pokémon wasn’t a clue. I swear, if that son of a bitch wasn’t already dead…” Mewtwo’s attack had lashed out wildly but had still found its intended targets. The man who had introduced himself as Mercury and all four of his human lackeys were dead, along with most of their Pokémon, leaving behind little clue of who they were.

“Why did they want him?” Saylee muttered dazedly, brain latching onto anything other than her dead and dying Pokémon for a while. “They were talking about making a better world…” she laughed bitterly. “Yeah, Marc and Archie were all about that too.”

“I could give less of a shit what they want or are planning,” Blue snarled. “They owe Mario an arm, Gary a rib, Charlotte a wing and four of your Pokémon their lives.”

Saylee pressed a hand over her eyes, dry sobbing in broken breaths for a few seconds before pulling away and turning around. “I need to go see Molly,” she said quickly. “While I… have time.”

Blue squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll wait for you back in the human hospital,” he said. “Listen for the sounds of bloody vengeance being pondered.”

Saylee tried to smile, but she felt like she’d lost the knack. Blue didn’t even try, glowering into his own personal sphere of anger as she limped away.

Her legs weren’t injured beyond some bad bruising, but she could barely put one foot in front of the other. She slowed to a halt, unable to step into Molly’s room. _I might not have much time..._ she thought, but when she meant to open the door, she couldn’t move. Her head began to spin as the tears she tried to swallow pricked at her eyes and clogged her throat. She _eeped_ as someone hugged her tightly from behind. “Who… Sabrina?” she said in surprise, turning and seeing the psychic’s head sitting on her shoulder, bearing a sad expression and a lot of tears.

“I’m sorry,” Sabrina sniffed. “I know I shouldn’t look in your mind without your permission, but you were crying too loudly for me not to hear.” The young psychic touched the tears on her own cheeks. “These are yours. I’ll cry them for you, for now, if you wish to speak to your Azumarill. I’m sorry, but she isn’t going to live.”

Saylee breathed deep, somehow finding it easier. “Y… yeah,” she said. “You… you don’t have to help me.”

“Mewtwo will keep,” Sabrina said softly. Saylee stared at her in surprise. “Of course I’ve met him. I made friends with Hayley Fuji because she’s psychic too, and she introduced us. I’ve been teaching him the control techniques I learned from Lady Erika. He still can’t make a flower arrangement without crushing the flowers, but he’s dedicated.” She wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve. “Go. I doubt he’ll reappear until Mr Fuji wakes up, anyway. He can wait. Molly can’t.”

Saylee hugged Sabrina back and hurried down the hall to a room where the two surgeons who had been attempting to save Zac were now attempting to save Molly. The Azumarill was unconscious, and unlike Zac, never woke.

Still, Saylee held her paw, and didn’t cry until the doctors called it and took Molly’s body away to send to Lavender with the others.

{}

Key say with her chin on her hands, watching the gentle, ebbing glow of the two Orbs. “I can’t believe that two such tiny shards make such a difference,” she said distantly. “Before they were glowing a little, but now…”

“Funny thing, that,” the gentleman gravekeeper said, stroking his beard. “If they are not whole, they are next to nothing. Curious, isn’t it?”

Key glanced over at her Pokémon, who were eating the breakfast that the old couple had offered them. After Matt and Shelly’s arrest and Key’s statement, it had been too late to leave Mt Pyre, but Mr and Mrs Fey had been more than happy to give Key and her Pokémon a bed for the night, and that had stretched to four days of standing guard in place of the overstretched police and rangers. They hadn’t seen any ghosts or any more members of Team Aqua and Magma, and in fact the whole place was very restful and tranquil, making most of them feel more rested and animated than they had for days. Manami was chattering to Leslie, who was only nodding and picking at her food. Shikoba was flirting with Topaz and getting smacked for it by both Topaz and Thomas. Python was staring morosely out of the window, a practically visible dark cloud hanging over his head.

“I think I know what you mean,” she sighed.

“Grandma! Grandpa!”

Key’s chin slipped off her hands as the door banged open. She turned around, rubbing her jaw, which dropped as she caught sight of the young woman in the blue bikini and sarong standing in the doorway. She had deeply tanned skin and two huge, pink, iconic flowers in her short black hair.

“I beg of you, forgive my negligence!” the woman said formally, clapping her hands in front of her and bowing low before straightening up, biting her lip and wringing her hands, ignoring the way that all of Key’s Pokémon had immediately begun to bristle and growl at the sight of the intruder. “I am so, so sorry, Grandma, Grandpa. I’ve been very busy with the preparations for the League, but that’s no excuse for me not being here. I came as soon as I heard that Aqua and Magma had come back, but I know I should have already—”

“Damn straight you should’ve been here, Phoebe! After all that fuss before with the Orbs being stolen!” Mrs Fey said, crossing her arms and scowling. “What kind of grave guardian are you?”

“Who is this lady?” Thomas muttered under his breath.

“She’s _Phoebe_!” Key squeaked. “Of the _Elite Four_! One of the strongest trainers in the country! Oh, _wow_ …”

“So where was she when she could’ve been _useful_?” Python growled.

“I promise, Grandma, I was overseeing the League search for Archibald Irving and Maximillion Hyland,” Phoebe insisted. “We’ve been scouring the seas for them, as deep as Wallace can go. We never thought for a second that they’d willingly bring the Orbs back…”

“Well, they did, but what if that wasn’t what they were here for?” her grandmother demanded. “If they’d been here for a fight, this poor girl would’ve had to fight them all alone!” She gestured to Key and her Pokémon. Phoebe glanced at them, seeming to notice them for the first time.

“Thank you for being here for my grandparents,” Phoebe said, bowing again. “I am in your debt.”

“Damn right you are,” Python muttered.

“Now, now, Python, that is _not_ how we speak to the ladies,” Shikoba chastised him. “It was our honour.”

“I, um…” Key squeaked, brain falling apart a little at having a member of the _Elite Four_ bowing to her. “It didn’t come to anything, anyway, not this time…”

“Can’t say whether that was a good or bad thing,” Manami muttered, patting Python’s ears. Leslie flattened her ears as the Mightyena just growled in response.

“It would be nice to catch them,” Topaz agreed, “sort all of this out once and for all, you know?”

“Oh, that reminds me,” Phoebe’s grandfather commented. “What happened to your friend, dear? The young lady with all the scars who brought us the last shards? I do hope she’s alright. She looks like the sort to get in trouble.”

“Oh, she went back to Kanto for a while,” Key said. The old couple both nodded and sighed sadly when she said ‘Kanto’, but Phoebe was circling the Orbs, staring at them in open awe.

“They’re complete,” she said wonderingly, running her fingers lightly over the glowing Orbs. “I’ve never… how?”

“My friend Saylee found the shards in Kanto,” Key offered. “Sar Saylee of Kanto. She came here to find out about them. And, umm…” she waved at the Orbs. “I think the rest is going to be history.”

“And are you a knight yourself?” Phoebe asked. “I can see that you know who I am, but you haven’t introduced yourself yet…”

“Oh! Sorry!” Key gasped. “K-Keyanu Weaves. Um, no, I’m… I’m just a trainer.”

“There’s no ‘just’ about being a trainer that befriends knights of the realm and is trusted by my grandparents,” Phoebe laughed. “Are you going to compete in the League?”

“Of course!” Key insisted, patting her pokéballs. “How close to the start do sign-ups open?”

“Open? They close tonight,” Phoebe said, looking startled. “Oh, damn, you saw that report saying that sign-ups had been pushed to Monua fifteenth, right? That press manager is _so_ fired, this has been nothing but trouble… the actual League’s been pushed back to Monua fifteenth, but due to scheduling and screening and so on, you need to have signed up a month before the League begins. Sign-in closes at eight tonight.”

“WHAT?!” Key shrieked, leaping to her feet and grabbing her Pokénav. “Hold on, just a sec… call Seka! SEKA!” she screamed as soon as her friend picked up.

“ _Key? What’s going on?”_ Seka said, sounding surprised. “ _Hey, are you ever coming back? You have to see this! A breeder with a bunch of Macargo turned up, and they_ still _haven’t managed to thaw any of these people, it’s really—_ ”

“Never mind that,” Key interrupted. “Have you and Jenny signed up for the League yet? Did you know that signups end tonight?”

“ _Yeah, we signed up like a week ago, why?_ ” Seka asked. “ _Haven’t you_?”

“I HATE YOU ALL,” Key shouted, hanging up and leaping to her feet. “I’m very honoured to meet you and I can’t wait to battle you but I’ve really gotta go,” she gabbled, waving and running out of the door.

“Thank you for all your help, dear!” Mrs Fey called.

“I look forward to fighting you too!” Phoebe shouted after Key as she released Topaz and hopped onto her back.

“Head east, hurry!” she ordered.

“Is something wrong?” Topaz said in alarm, buzzing her wings as she took off. “Have Marc and Archie been spotted?”

“No, worse! We’re going to be late to register for the League!” Key shouted, gripping to Topaz’s back. “All those badges are going to be wasted if we don’t hurry!”

“Ah,” Topaz said, stretching her neck out and flying faster. “…Worse. I see.”

“Shut up and fly, please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHAHAAAAAA LOOK HOW MANY OF MY POKEMON DIED FIGHTING THE LEAGUE I HATE EVERYTHING  
> Three of them died fighting Wallace’s FUCKING Tentacruel. The only one who died sooner was Sanborn, but I can’t remember how now. But Saylee doesn’t fight the League, so instead they all die as the result of a really shitty accident which is all the fault of GUESS WHO.   
> Also Key’s Aaron is not included because she literally had him for all of ten minutes before he died ingame and neither of us had any concept for him as a character at all.
> 
> Saylee  
> Name: Gaius. Species: Golbat. Nature: Hardy. Ability: Inner Focus. Location: Seafloor Cavern. Level: 34  
> Name: Chrom. Species: Clamperl. Nature: Relaxed. Ability: Shell Armor. Location: Underwater. Level: 29  
> RIP Sanborn the Sandslash, level 20-52  
> RIP Zac the Linoone, level 4-54  
> RIP Molly the Azumarill, level 4-52  
> RIP Oberon the Bellossom, level 29-55
> 
> Key  
> Name: Libi. Species: Luvdisc. Nature: Docile. Ability: Swift Swim. Location: Evergrande City. Level: 26  
> Name: Aaron. Species: Lairon. Nature: Brave. Ability: Rock Head. Location: Victory Road. Level: 40  
> Name: Spring. Species: Spheal. Nature: Lax. Ability: Thick Fat. Location: Shoal Cave. Level: 28  
> Name: Wesley. Species: Wingull. Nature: Impish. Ability: Keen Eye. Location: Lilycove City. Level: 11  
> Name: Mithril. Species: Beldum. Nature: Timid Ability: Clear Body. Location: Mossdeep City. Level: 5  
> RIP Aaron the Aggron, level 40-47


	46. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 18   
> Deaths: 11
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 29   
> Deaths: 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SAYLEE  
> Skye the Altaria, Nadia the Camerupt
> 
> GUEST STARRING  
> Tobias the Togekiss (from After Armageddon and Blood and Bond), Mary the Ampharos (from Blood and Bond), Charlotte the Charizard (from Blood and Bond), Eric the Espeon (Red’s Espeon), Perun the Pikachu (Red’s Pikachu) 
> 
> KEY  
> Thomas the Grovyle, Leslie the Linoone, Python the Mightyena, Manami the Azumarill, Topaz the Flygon
> 
> SEKA  
> Edge the Zangoose, Talyn the Mightyena, Ardenol the Weavile
> 
> JENNY  
> Sarah-Jane the Staraptor, Jack the Jolteon, Mickey the Manectric, Rose the Gardevoir, Craig the Castform, Sophie the Delcatty

Skye’s fluff hid an astonishingly spindly body, so spindly that Saylee was afraid that if a Psycho Cut had hit the Altaria directly, it would have decapitated her. Luckily, Skye had lost nothing but most of her feathers, and now the shorn-off cotton was growing back haphazardly, making her look more back to herself. Giving her a hug goodbye wrapped Saylee in softness that made her feel almost alright again, just for a minute.

After checking up on Nadia—who had some cuts, but nothing deep, and placidly insisted that she felt absolutely fine—Saylee found Tobias, Mary and Charlotte outside with a couple of Chansey nurses and Hernan, who gave Saylee a hug when he saw her.

“Our condolences, Saylee,” the Hitmonchan said seriously. “Carrie sends her love… she’d be here herself, but the recent loss was one of the clan elders… a great-aunt of hers, I believe.”

“She’s the Clan Mother. I know she has to be there,” Saylee reassured him, wincing as her right arm jarred at the slightest touch. She’d only been hit by a glancing blow, but that was enough to score a deep mark into her right bicep and send pain radiating through all of the muscles in her arm. “How soon can the… the funerals be arranged?”

“We’re going to give them the full works, from sunrise to sunset tomorrow,” Hernan promised. “Will you be there, Toby?” He placed a hand on his adoptive son’s shoulder, looking him over for what must have been the millionth time, even though he and Mary were the only two to have come out of the encounter unharmed. Tobias had managed to cast a shield over himself and Mary, who had been standing close to him, as well as Charlotte, who had been standing close but not close enough. The two Chansey were fussing over the stump where the forlorn Charizard’s left wing had once been.

“I’m going to help Charlotte get home first,” the Togekiss said softly. “It’ll be some time before her prosthetic wing can be built, and she needs to recover more first… to do that she needs to be home, on Mt Moon with her family. Don’t worry, I can lift her.” Saylee didn’t doubt it; though Charlotte was larger than Tobias, the Togekiss was very skilled at using his telekinetic abilities to lift objects and Pokémon much larger than himself.

“That Sabrina went back hame this mornin’,” Mary said. “She asked us tae tell Mewtwo for her. Dinnae ken why psychics cannae just telepath each other, but…”

“I guess she figured I’d be going to visit Mr Fuji next anyway,” Saylee sighed. “They told me he woke up this morning?”

“Blue already went,” Charlotte said, glancing across the road. The Saffron Pokémon Medical Centre was a low building with a lot of space around it kept clear to allow for the treatment and care of large Pokémon, but the Saffron Hospital for Humans, across the road, was an imposing six-story building that seemed to be in a constant state of expansion. Saylee gave her injured Charizard a hug and headed across the road, already wincing in trepidation of the five flights of stairs ahead of her.

She didn’t particularly expect to be teleported into Mr Fuji’s room before she was halfway across the street, but she was hardly ungrateful for it. Hayley ran a circle around her—or limped one, anyway, swinging around Saylee as nimbly as she could on her crutches. The girl had a bandaged slash across her forehead and another that had nearly severed her leg, but she still had her usual slightly unnerving grin. Her high spirits didn’t seem to be impacting the guilty way that Mewtwo was curled up next to Mr Fuji’s bed, with the old man resting a hand on his creation’s shoulder paternally while talking to Blue.

“Hey,” Blue said, glancing around for another seat and, not seeing one, holding out his hand and pulling Saylee to sit in his lap.

“How are you?” Saylee asked, directing the question at both Blue and Mr Fuji.

“Feeling my age a little, but I’ll be fine,” Mr Fuji assured her, smiling warmly and patting Mewtwo’s shoulder again. Saylee saw the stricken look in the psychic Pokémon’s eyes and decided not to ask any further.

“ _I am… sorry,”_ Mewtwo thought at her. The powerful psychic only spoke telepathically, his voice resonating in Saylee’s head and bringing a wave of all too familiar shame and regret with it. “ _I was… overwhelmed, and lashed out. I had not felt like that since…_ ”

“Well, you killed fewer people this time and didn’t wipe out the memories of half a continent, so perhaps this is progress, hmm?” Mr Fuji said warmly. “It was an accident. You didn’t mean to. We know that.”

“ _But I did…_ ” Mewtwo said guiltily. “ _And I could not… I tried to heal them,_ ” he said, looking pleadingly at Saylee. “ _I tried, but I think… I think I only made it worse. I do not know how to heal. I could not…_ ”

“Your powers do not tend towards healing,” Mr Fuji sighed sadly. “It is not what you were made for. I am more at fault for that than you, I am afraid.”

“The people most at fault are the ones who attacked you,” Saylee growled. “That guy Mercury and his flunkies… they’re the ones who attacked Mr Fuji and upset the dead. They would have stolen our Pokémon and killed us if they could, and they… well, they brought it on themselves.”

“The police found some kind of logo on their uniforms, but no other identification,” Blue muttered darkly. “Belongs to the Galactic Energy Corporation in Sinnoh. Apparently they had a researcher called Marcus Denzi out here to have a look at the Power Plant and have absolute _no_ idea why he’d be in Lavender Town, although positively IDing the body hasn’t exactly been easy…”

“Marcus Denzi… why was he calling himself _Mercury_?” Saylee muttered. “If he wasn’t in Lavender for Galactic Corp, what group is he a part of? It has to be a group, look at the photo from Professor Hawkshaw’s Girafarig…”

“I’m not convinced that those Galactic people don’t know anything about it,” Blue snorted. “These tools are doing their shit in Galactic Corp _uniforms_. Either they’re trying to frame Galactic Energy in a weird way, or they’re from Galactic Energy, and they’re dumb as shit.”

“Either way, these crimes are connected,” Saylee sighed, rubbing her forehead, “and actively malicious. They need to be brought to justice as quickly as possible.”

“ _Let me help,_ ” Mewtwo said, straightening up to his full two-metre height. His head brushed the ceiling—or would, if the space around him didn’t seem to warp somewhat. “ _I cannot heal because I was not made to. But I can do what I was made for. I can destroy. I do not know how to find them, but if I can, I will_ destroy _them. I will help, on behalf of your Pokémon whom I have killed. Allow me to do so. Please,_ ” he added after a moment’s thought.

“I’m game,” Blue said.

“Me too, but we need to find them first,” Saylee said, “and we can’t carry you around in a pokéball until then. We don’t even know if you’ll go in one.”

“Yeah, I think you need to do a little more of your control training first,” Blue agreed. “Y’know, A for effort and all, but… I just don’t wanna stand too close to you when you start on your destruction thing.”

“ _I will train hard with my friend Sabrina,_ ” Mewtwo promised. “ _I will learn control so I will only hurt whom I choose to hurt. But when you wish for me to fight on your behalf…_ ” he held out his hand to them. “ _Call for me. In your heart, and in your mind. I will always hear you._ ” Saylee and Blue glanced at each other, then Saylee shrugged and touched Mewtwo’s bulbous fingers, and Blue did the same. Saylee felt something _click_ in the back of her mind, like a switch being set in place for her to flick when she needed to.

“ _I can hear you think that you will likely be truly desperate to trust yourself to my assistance,_ ” Mewtwo said wryly. “ _I am not offended. It may be the only time at which my level of power is appropriate._ ”

“Mewtwo’s been training hard for a long time, and I’m sure he’ll train even harder now,” Mr Fuji said placidly. Mewtwo sat down next to his creator’s bed again, nodding.

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Blue promised. “It’s not bad to have a desperation option. Y’know… a really _severe_ desperation option, but still.”

“For now, rest and heal, attend the funerals of your Pokémon and think on them,” Mr Fuji said gently. “Return to thoughts of violence later. Be grateful for tonight that your Pokémon have gone where there is violence no more.”

{}

“Where the hell are we and why?” Thomas said, wrinkling his nose at the dripping cave and then reaching over to whack Shikoba across the back of the head as the Swellow winked at a Kangaskhan training nearby with her trainer and a Delcatty.

“I didn’t even say anything!” the bird protested.

“You don’t need to,” Topaz pointed out.

“This is Victory Road,” Jenny explained to them, waving an arm to take in the cavern before them, lit by glowing lights set into the walls. Rocky outcrops above them were linked by rope bridges, and trainers were battling each other and wild Pokémon _everywhere._

“It’s not _required_ to train here before the League,” Seka said, releasing all of her Pokémon as well, “but it’s kind of the thing that you do.”

“Besides, after we’ve registered for the League we’re not really supposed to leave the Evergrande Area,” Jenny said, checking her pokégear for a signal before releasing her Pokémon. She had recently added Craig, a Castform, and Sophie, a Delcatty, to her team, but they weren’t as powerful as the rest of her Pokémon yet. “Right… Seka, where are the rest of your Pokémon?”

“What do you mean, where are the rest?” Seka said, waving her hand at Edge, Talyn and Ardenol. “This _is_ my team.”

“You know you can have up to six in your team, right?” Thomas pointed out.

“You do know you can evolve, right?” Python snarked. Thomas fidgeted with his Everstone and scowled.

“Seka, are you really challenging the League with only three Pokémon?” Key asked. She wound up on the receiving end on some very affronted glares from a Zangoose, Mightyena and Weavile, who were all very intimidating Pokémon to begin with.

“No _only_ about it,” Ardenol sneered, flashing his claws.

“We just want to make it a fair fight,” Talyn said, flicking his tail. He pricked his ears and sniffed the air when Edge started snarling. “Oh, no… Edge, stay here, you stupid—”

“I’LL SLIT YOU OPEN, SLITHERY SCUM!” the Zangoose yowled, charging towards a Seviper that had just been released further down the cave, who hissed and reared up to fight, swearing viciously at Edge.

“Oh, shit… We’ll get him and be right back!” Seka yelled, running after Edge with Talyn and Ardenol.

“She’s certainly confident,” Jenny sighed. “Well, she’s not the only trainer in the League who’s competing with less than six, I guess…”

“Yeah, but in most cases that’s because they have _five,_ ” Key said, grinning, “not _three_. Okay!” She turned to her Pokémon. “Well, Jenny, how about a six-on-six battle?”

“Only if I get to battle this sweet set of wings,” Shikoba said, snuggling up to Jenny’s Staraptor, Sarah-Jane. She huffed and fluttered away just as Shikoba was struck by a jolt of electricity.

“Oh I’m sorry, was that you?” Jack said, pawing at one of his spiky yellow ears. “Sorry about that. Random electrocutions, you know, terrible habit of mine.”

“We all know you like to randomly shock people, but try not to do it literally,” Jenny said, folding her arms. “How about we put everyone in their pokéballs and both release at random so neither of us has a planned advantage?”

“Then what was the point of having us out?” Sophie said, rolling her eyes as she vanished.

“Okay, then,” Key said, returning her Pokémon and picking a pokéball. “Three… two… one… go!”

She released Leslie at the same moment that Jenny picked Mickey. “Bite!” Jenny called.

“Slash!” Key ordered. The two charged each other; Leslie swiftly fended off the Manectric’s attempt to bite her by slashing at his nose.

“Ow! That _stings_!” Mickey yelped, backing away.

“Don’t be afraid! Use Strength!” Jenny called.

“Headbutt!” Key ordered. Leslie and Mickey charged each other again, slamming into each other as hard as they could. They ended up headbutting each other and then falling back, dazed. Leslie seemed to shake off the dizziness first.

“Iron Tail, Leslie!” Key shouted. Leslie’s fur took on a silvery sheen.

“Thunder!” Jenny yelled. Key winced as the powerful bolt of lightning from the Manectric struck Leslie, drawn to her by her metallic coating. Leslie collapsed, smoking slightly. Key quickly returned her.

“One-nil!” Jenny sang happily. “Well done, Mickey.” She returned her Manectric and pulled out her next pokéball. “Ready to go again?”

“Sure thing,” Key said, releasing Python. Jenny released Sophie, her Delcatty. “Crunch!”

“Dig!” Jenny shouted. Sophie dived underground seconds before Python’s jaws closed around her.

“Double Team, Python!” Key ordered. Python took off, dozens of him running back and forth across the field. Sophie shot up from the ground to hit him, but she only dispelled an image.

“Try Attract!” Jenny commanded. A wave of pink pheromones poured from Sophie. Key covered her nose, scowling as Python’s images faded and he stumbled to a halt.

“C’mon, you’re not going to hurt a sweet lady like me, are you?” Sophie crooned, swaggering towards Python, who stood in place, staring at the ground. “Are you, Python? I thought not…”

“Now, Ice Beam!” Jenny cheered. Sophie opened her mouth, charging up a blast of ice.

She nearly choked on it when Python leapt up and Crunched her in the side.

“You thought wrong,” he growled around a mouthful of her fur, before flinging her aside. Sophie rolled over and started coughing nastily as she choked on the ice she’d been forming.

“I’ll give you that one,” Jenny said, returning Sophie. “Is your Mightyena okay?”

“I’m fine,” Python grumbled, turning back to Key, who returned him wordlessly. She picked up Topaz’ pokéball.

“One-all,” Jenny said, holding up her next pokéball. “Ready… and… whoop!” She ducked as a Marshtomp was flung over her head.

“Sorry!” a trainer yelled, running past her with his Pokémon’s pokéball in hand. Jenny just laughed and waved before flinging out her next Pokémon, with Key following suit. Topaz found herself facing Craig, her Castform.

“Dragonbreath, quick!” Key shouted.

“Hail!” Jenny ordered. Craig spat out a cloud that floated into the air above the battlefield and started raining down tiny chunks of ice. Topaz’s blast of blue dragonfire was interrupted as she winced and shied away from the ice, while the fire that did hit Craig barely affected him as he turned purple and morphed into an ice type, surrounded by cold, swirling clouds.

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” Topaz yelped, dropping to the ground and trying to cover herself with her wings and tail.

“Weather Ball, now!” Jenny called, grinning devilishly. Craig started forming a huge sphere of ice.

“Dodge it! Underground!” Key shouted. Topaz dug into the ground, the ice sphere just whipping over the tip of her tail as she vanished.

“Where is she?” Craig said nervously, looking around.

Topaz shot up from beneath him, knocking him to the ground. “Right here,” she replied.

“CRUNCH!” Key shouted. Topaz bit down on the weakly struggling Craig until the hail stopped falling, then flung the unconscious Pokémon into the air for Jenny to return him.

“So what’s the score?” Seka shouted, running up with Talyn and Ardenol in tow, having apparently been forced to return Edge to his pokéball to keep him from pursuing his blood feud against all Seviper.

“Two-one to me,” Key said proudly, picking Shikoba’s pokéball. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Jenny said, holding up a pokéball. “Go!”

Shikoba and Sarah-Jane both took to the air, shivering a little as they hit the path of cold air left behind by the dissipation of the hail cloud.

“Hey there, sweet thing,” Shikoba said, starting to circle the Staraptor. “If I win, how about we go to this tree I know…”

“In your dreams,” Sarah-Jane said, slamming into him and knocking him into the ceiling.

“Sarah, I didn’t order you to use Retaliate,” Jenny laughed.

“Sorry, I took a little initiative,” Sarah-Jane responded. “What do you think?”

“Giga Impact!” Jenny shouted.

“Double Team!” Key ordered. Shikoba, slightly dizzily, shot off, creating doubles that swooped and circled around Sarah-Jane, who slammed through one after another, dissipating them and making them vanish. A few more were taken out by a misaimed Fire Blast from a Flareon not far away.

“I know this is traditional, but damn this place is crowded,” Seka called. “After this fight, wanna go find somewhere with space?”

“Sure,” Key called. “Aerial Ace!”

“Aerial Ace!” Jenny shouted at almost the same time. The battle became a near-invisible blur as the two birds struck at each other at lightning speeds. Key stumbled as the ground shook under her feet.

“Ow… did somebody use Earthquake?” she called, looking around. The ground shook again, harder this time.

“Ouch!” Jenny yelped, clutching her head. “A stone hit me!” She looked up as trickles of sand and pebbles began to fall from the ceiling. The ground shook again, even more violently than before.

“Look out!” Shikoba yelled, slamming into Sarah-Jane and knocking her aside seconds before a huge boulder came crashing down. Screaming erupted all around them as the roof started to cave in.

“SHIKOBA!” Key screamed, running towards the boulder. The end of Shikoba’s wing and tail were sticking out from under the boulder, twitching slightly. His pokéball wouldn’t work, so she reached out for him, not really thinking of anything but getting him _out_ …

“Key, we have to GO!” Jenny yelled, slamming into Key and hefting the younger girl over her shoulder as she ran for the cave exit. Pokémon were being ordered by their trainers to blast the exit wider so that the terrified throng could get out faster, but it was just making the quake worse.

“SHIKOBA!” Key screamed. She couldn’t see him anymore; she could only see the throng pressing in behind her and Jenny, screaming as the floor and ceiling all started to collapse in earnest.

Ice shot over their heads, freezing the ceiling together. A Salamence, a couple of Flygon and several ghosts flew overhead, snatching up those trainers who either didn’t have flying Pokémon or hadn’t thought to get them out, flying them out over the heads of the crowd.

“Key, get Topaz out!” Jenny yelled, releasing Sarah-Jane again. “HURRY! Sarah can’t carry us all!”

“But—” Key stared at her shaking hands, which were still clutching a few filthy, white-and-blue feathers. “But—”

“SHE WON’T GET HURT!” Jenny yelled. “NOBODY ELSE WILL GET HURT IF YOU GET TOPAZ OUT _RIGHT NOW_!”

Key’s thought processes seemed to have shut down, but the shouting jolted her body into movement. She released Topaz, who astutely swooped down and gripped her trainer by the arms, lifting Key into the air and over the screaming runners as they were helped out by members of the Elite Four before the whole of Victory Road came crashing down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you didn’t think this game was even CLOSE to done killing our Pokémon… T_T
> 
> Key  
> RIP Shikoba the Swellow, level 6-54


	47. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 11
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 32   
> Deaths: 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SAYLEE  
> Skye the Altaria, Nadia the Camerupt
> 
> GUEST STARRING  
> Tobias the Togekiss (from After Armageddon and Blood and Bond), Mary the Ampharos (from Blood and Bond), Eric the Espeon (Red’s Espeon), Perun the Pikachu (Red’s Pikachu)
> 
> KEY  
> Thomas the Grovyle, Leslie the Linoone, Python the Mightyena, Manami the Azumarill, Topaz the Flygon

It felt as if only Saylee and Blue were attending the funeral, though there were many Pokémon around; the whole clan of Cubone and Marowak were there too, honouring those who had died protecting them along with Hernan, Tobias, Mary and Sabrina, but Saylee felt wrong laying Sanborn, Oberon, Zac and Molly to rest without Key and the rest of their friends from Hoenn present. Skye and Nadia had been released to attend, but both of them seemed to feel the huge empty spaces around them. Skye had ended up flying to perch on top of the Tower, to feel the wind in her wings, but Nadia had huddled next to the huge funeral pyre, closing her eyes and soaking up the warmth.

Saylee couldn’t bring herself to sit in silence, the days of enforced rest and stillness in the hospital grating at her. As her surgeon kept remarking, she was very lucky; she’d come within centimetres of having to have her right arm replaced with a prosthetic, something that would have taken several months of surgery and rehab that Saylee didn’t feel she had to spend. As it was, she was going to have to do a bit of rehabilitative work even before her sling was to come off in a few weeks’ time, to make sure she could still use her right hand. Saylee was already familiar with most of the exercises after an incident a few years previously where her right hand had been cut open, damaging some nerves, but she’d apparently forgotten how to use her left hand, given how much fumbling it took her to dial her pokégear. It was frustrating, but not as frustrating as talking over the lack of information about the attackers from Lavender Town with her rangers, the police, and…

“ _I find them pretty suspicious, too. Don’t you worry about it. You just rest up and heal._ ”

“Don’t _worry_?” Saylee said sceptically. “I am still talking to Sir Lance of Blackthorn, right? I still remember the bloodbath you turned the Mahogany Rocket base into.”

“ _Yes, and I remember the bloodbath that Professor Hawkshaw’s lab was left in,”_ Lance reminded her, “ _and I’m sure I don’t have to remind you of what just happened in Lavender Town just one week ago? I doubt infiltrating Galactic Corp will be any harder than infiltrating Team Magma._ ”

“For all the use you were there,” Saylee said with a scowl. “You just up and vanished after the volcano went off. What the hell happened?”

“ _If you must know, I attempted to track the escaping Magma members, but they slipped me, and then between the earthquakes and tsunamis, things got a little complicated, as you know. But you and your young friend had things well in hand, didn’t you? Now, I’ve got to run, ferry to catch… my condolences on your losses._ ” Lance hung up.

“So what the hell did happen?” Blue asked, wincing as he carefully stretched his torn ankle through his rehab exercises.

“He got lost, and now he’s going to infiltrate Galactic Corp,” Saylee said with a frown. “I feel like this can only end badly…” With a sigh, she gave up, staring blankly at the flames for a few minutes, trying to clear her mind and think only of her lost Pokémon. When she tried, however, all she could think of was their violent deaths, ones that “Mercury” and his assistants had shared. _That’s not the end of it, though,_ Saylee thought, _not when they still have cohorts out there, ready to kill more people…_ she fumbled her pokégear open again and started checking her emails, opening articles that Key had sent her links to. They were all about the people found in the strange mound near Fortree City. The reports were now terming the substance that they were entrapped in “crystal” rather than “ice” because it wasn’t melting, but was still impenetrable. There were several shots of the people who had congregated to investigate the strange phenomenon. Saylee scrolled through a few, then nearly screamed in rage.

“What the hell?” Blue yelped in surprise. “What’s wrong?!”

“This,” Saylee snarled, handing the pokégear to Blue. The person was half cut off by the edge of the photo and wearing a long overcoat, but they were still visibly wearing grey clothing underneath and sporting a green bowl-cut.

“So they’re skulking around a lab investigating the Ruins of Alph, Mewtwo, that tower where Rayquaza used to live, and now creepy mounds inhabited by the Unown?” Blue said. “I’m starting to see a pattern here…”

“They might still be there,” Saylee growled, shutting off her pokégear and looking back up at the fires. “I have to go back to Hoenn and find them and find out what the hell they’re…” Saylee froze for a moment. “I promised Key I’d watch her challenge the Pokémon League, and I _will_ , but first…” she wiped her eyes. “I have to go after these… these people in the Galactic Energy Corp uniforms.”

“Me too… ah, shit,” Blue said, rubbing his head. “I forgot I have to check in with the League to do shit like that. I’m gonna have to file some kind of report on what went down here…”

“So am I,” Saylee recalled with a groan. “I’m Head Ranger of Kanto. I mean, I’ve been reporting in to the Hoenn rangers about every clash with Team Aqua and Magma, but this is in Kanto…”

“You don’t need to make live reports though, do you?” Blue pointed out.

“No… not unless I get called in for one after filing my report,” Saylee admitted.

“So you go on ahead and find out if these people are working out of Hoenn or not,” Blue said, “and I’ll catch up as soon as I can sort someone to cover me so I can bust out in pursuit.”

“Curse you for being all damn responsible,” Saylee sighed, wrapping her arms around him.

“Well, unfortunately, we’ve gotta do things this way these days,” Blue grumbled. “I hate it, but I can see the logic behind making sure that none of the district leaders are power-hungry megalomaniacs running around on power trips. Don’t worry, I’m still fully capable of being spectacularly annoying when I want to. They’ll let me go, if only to make me shut up.”

“Good,” Saylee said, leaning up to kiss him. “Jerk…”

They both jumped as Saylee’s pokégear rang. “Holy—” Blue swore as Saylee scrambled for her ‘gear. “Scared the hell out of me!”

“It’s Key,” Saylee said in surprise. “Just a minute… Key?” she said, picking up.

“ _S-Saylee…?_ ”

“Oh gods, Key, are you okay?” Saylee said, hearing the tears in her friend’s voice.

“ _Y-yeah, I… Saylee, there was a collapse in Victory Road,_ ” Key cried. “ _Sh-Shikoba’s d-d-dead…_ ”

Saylee’s breath caught. “Oh, K-Key,” she gasped. “I’m… I’m so sorry. Are you hurt?”

“ _B-bumps and scrapes, nothing bad,_ ” Key said. “ _Th-thanks to Jenny… I-I just… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called, I-I just…”_

“No, no, it’s okay,” Saylee said quickly. “Were there any other casualties?”

“ _Y-yeah… a few other Pokémon were killed, a couple of trainers too…”_

“Oh, no,” Saylee gasped. “Key, I’ll… I can’t be back straight away, some… some things have happened, but I’ll try to be back before the League starts, I swear…”

 _“I can’t compete! I… I failed Shikoba, I’m a terrible trainer…_ ”

“No, no, no you’re not,” Saylee said soothingly. “It… it was an accident. You’re not the only trainer to have… l-l-lost a Pokémon,” she said, her voice breaking as her eyes were drawn again to the funeral pyre for Zac, Oberon, Sanborn and Molly. _Swallow it down! Key needs comfort! Remember your first losses? Remember how badly it hurts when you’re still learning to deal? It took her years to handle losing Raphael. Losing Wanda hit her like a truck. She can’t lose focus this close to the League…_ “Key, you’re a good trainer. Accidents happen to the best of us. You can still take the League!”

“ _B-but I’ve lost one of my Pokémon…_ ” Key said tentatively.

In the background, a woman screamed, “ _BITCH I’M GONNA TAKE ‘EM WITH THREE, YOU CAN SURE AS HELL TAKE ‘EM WITH FIVE_!”

“Uh, is that…?” Saylee asked.

“ _Seka… yeah, she’s doing it with three Pokémon,_ ” Key said, sounding a little lighter. “ _She… she’s right. I… I can do this without Shikoba…. Right…?_ ”

“You won’t, Key,” Saylee said gently. “You trained and loved Shikoba. You won’t do this without him. Do it _for_ him. I’ll get there as soon as I can to see you fight, okay? I believe in you.”

“ _O-okay… thank you, Lee,_ ” Key said softly. “ _You’re right. Thank you._ ”

“I’ll see you soon,” Saylee promised, hanging up.

“Did… did you just comfort her over the loss of _one_ Pokémon?” Blue said incredulously.

“It’s only her third ever loss,” Saylee said quickly. “She’s still learning how to cope without shutting down. It took me a lot of time and support to learn to do the same.”

“…I never shut down,” Blue admitted. “I just got angry… stupidly so. And then… I’d get scared. I’d back away from major fights for fear of losing someone else. If I hadn’t… maybe you wouldn’t have had to fight against Team Rocket alone as often as you did.”

“You always come through for me in the end,” Saylee said softly, squeezing his hand.

“I should be there from the beginning,” Blue said, squeezing back. “I became a gym leader so that I wouldn’t be able to back out of the important fights, by making them my job and my responsibility. Instead, I’m in the wrong country while you’re running into the big fights alone… again.”

“Like any of us knew what was going to happen,” Saylee said, hugging him again. “Besides, I wasn’t alone. I had my Pokémon… I have Key.”

“A kid that you start comforting when you’re grieving yourself,” Blue groaned. “Idiot.”

“Jerk.”

{}

“...I promise. I swear. You be careful too, okay, Dad? I love you too. Bye!” Jenny hung up and flopped back down on Seka’s bed. The preliminary trainer dorms were four trainers to a room, but two of the beds in Seka and Jenny’s room were now empty, their occupants currently bunking in the hospital wing. Key had checked in as alive and not seriously injured but hadn’t felt up to returning to her room after hearing that one of the girls she’d been rooming with had been one of those killed in the collapse, so she was unofficially sharing with Seka and Jenny.

“Your dad went on for a long time,” Seka commented, juggling her three pokéballs. Pokémon were only permitted out of their pokéballs in the training areas because the preliminary dorms were so cramped.

“I should’ve called him as soon as we got out of the caves,” Jenny sighed. “He was panicking when he heard on the news that Victory Road collapsed. It’s only been about five months since…” she shook her head. “Can’t blame him for being worried.”

“True,” Seka agreed. “Norman was flipping out, too.” She threw a significant glance at Key. “Especially when he couldn’t get Key to answer her phone…”

“I’m sorry,” Key said. She twisted Shikoba’s feathers in her hands. “I just… needed to talk to Lee. She helped me deal with my feelings over Wanda’s death… I didn’t manage to handle Raphael’s until I started training with her. She’s lost a lot herself.”

“Well, she is Head Ranger in _Kanto_ ,” Jenny pointed out. “That place is worse than Orre in terms of breakdown of law and order.”

“You’re shitting me,” Seka gasped. “Worse than _Orre_? Not possible.”

“Well, it’s getting better from what I hear, but that’s what eighteen years of isolation without much in the way of functioning technology or legal structure does for you,” Jenny said. “Also, she reputedly has a history of jumping into dangerous situations without backup.”

“Not just reputation,” Key reported. “I think she considers her Pokémon sufficient backup.”

“No offence, but that might just be what’s getting her Pokémon killed,” Seka put in.

“Please never say that to her,” Key pleaded. “She just… believes in protecting people and doesn’t believe in sitting back and waiting for someone else to fix things. And her Pokémon believe in her. When she sent Steele away, she told me that when she first started training Pokémon she caught a Spearow that didn’t want to come with her and forced him to fight for her, and he died. She felt like she forced him to his death against his will and said she’d never again fight with anyone who didn’t want to fight with her.”

“Fair enough,” Jenny said. “These days, you can get your training license revoked if you’re caught forcing Pokémon to fight against their will.”

“Yeah,” Key said, clutching the feathers. “And she said… because I believed in and loved Shikoba and because he believed in me… he’ll still be with me through the League, and to do it for him.”

Seka patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t go bailing on us now, Key,” she said. “Do it for Shikoba.”

“Yeah…” Key took a deep breath. “Okay… I’m… I’m gonna go to one of the training rooms. I need to tell the rest of my Pokémon what happened to Shikoba and what’s happening next.”

“I hope they take it well,” Jenny said.

“Tell them they’re doing it for Shikoba!” Seka called, waving Key off.

{}

“Oh, no,” Manami gasped, bursting into tears. Leslie cuddled up next to her friend, crying silently. Topaz wrapped her tail tightly around Python as he started growling angrily.

“What the hell happened to him?!” Python demanded.

“It was an accident,” Key said softly. “He… he got crushed…” _Like Wanda,_ she realized. “I couldn’t… I’m sorry.”

“Couldn’t _what_?” Thomas said hollowly. The Grovyle was staring distantly at the filthy feathers that Key was still clutching. “Couldn’t press the damn button on a pokéball?”

“I’m so sorry, Thomas,” Key said, starting to cry again. “Please don’t hate me, I wasn’t… I wasn’t fast enough, I’m so sorry, I…”

“I… no, I don’t hate you, I just… DAMN IT!” Thomas yelled, drawing the stares of the couple dozen other trainers and Pokémon that had made for the cavernous stone training hall. “I thought we were DONE with this shit! Aqua and Magma are DONE and GONE, we’re not… we’re not supposed to lose anyone else, damn it…”

“Wanda’s death was an accident too, Thomas,” Manami sniffed. “Accidents happen… this one wasn’t anyone’s fault…”

“That makes it WORSE, dammit!” Thomas yelled. “I CAN’T KICK ANYBODY’S ASS FOR THIS!” He leapt up onto the wall, running up onto the ceiling high above.

“The quake… I guess Groudon and Kyogre really destabilized things,” Key muttered. “When they assessed to see if the caves were safe, I guess they forgot that trainers like to train there…”

“So we shouldn’t have been allowed to train in there?” Topaz said.

Thomas dropped down in front of them. “So this _is_ Magma and Aqua’s fault, and when we find Archie and Marc I can kick their asses,” he snapped, “and it’s also the League’s fault, and I need to kick all of _their_ asses. Fine. Let’s do this.”

“Do it for Shikoba?” Key said, holding out the feathers.

“You bet your ass,” Thomas said, snatching them up and clutching them tightly.

“Of course we will,” Topaz agreed. “He’d be pretty annoyed at us for getting to the League and then dropping out.”

“Besides, the League battles are very safe, aren’t they?” Manami said, stroking Leslie’s fur to calm down the quietly crying Linoone. “Nobody else will die.”

“Of course not,” Python growled. “At least… none of _us_ will.”

“No killing,” Key admonished him. “You too, Thomas,” she added pointedly to her Grovyle, who was staring at Shikoba’s feathers with an expression even darker than Python’s. “If you killed anyone, Shikoba would be disappointed in you, wouldn’t he?” She reached out and hugged her Grovyle. “He’d… want you to smile.”

“…yeah, I know,” Thomas said, slumping against her shoulder. “That idiot was always trying to make people laugh… dumbass…”

“I know,” Key said, hanging onto him as he hid his face in her shoulder and pretended not to cry.

{}

Key groaned and rolled over as a ringing noise dragged her awake.

“What the hell? Not mine,” Samantha, the girl in the bunk above her, grumbled.

“It’s one in the damn morning,” Hana, the other girl in the room, growled. “Key, right? Answer your stupid nav!”

“Who’s calling me at this time?” Key mumbled, grabbing her pokénav and rolling out of bed. The screen was flashing up an unknown number. She was uncomfortably aware that she was not making a good impression on the other two girls in her assigned room on her first night sleeping in it. She would’ve kept staying with Seka and Jenny, but a harassed-looking League official had insisted that she stayed in her assigned room to make it easier for them to keep track of the trainers that were still alive and uninjured, so after three days here she was. “I’ll go outside to take this. Sorry.”

“Come back in quietly,” Samantha mumbled, dropping back off to sleep as Key crept out of the door, answering her Pokénav.

“Hello?” she said quietly. There was dead silence. “Hello?” Key repeated again. “Is anyone there?”

“ _…you’re alive._ ”

Key’s breath caught in her throat.

“ _I heard a radio broadcast about the collapse and thought… it took me a while to hook this thing up to make a blocked call… I wanted to make sure that you’re okay._ ”

“I-I’m okay,” Key breathed. “Archie…? Why…?”

“ _Your friend Saylee, is she okay too?_ ” Archie asked quickly.

“She’s not here,” Key mumbled. “She had to go back to Kanto… um… I got the hairpin. From Matt,” she got out, stumbling over her words. “Thank you.”

“ _Oh… don’t thank me. It’s no real recompense for the trouble I’ve caused you… I just… I saw it, and thought of your Beautifly and how you were wearing her in your hair at Mt Chimney. I… Saylee’s the one who lost Pokémon because of us, maybe I should’ve gotten something for her, but I don’t really know what she’d want except maybe weapons or my head on a spit or something…”_

“I… I don’t think she’d accept anything from you,” Key said. “She’d probably break it. Actually, I think if she’d been there when Matt gave me the pin, she’d have stabbed him with it. They got arrested, you know.”

“ _They… they wanted to. They felt guilty. So do I, but I’d like to do something constructive to make amends. I just… rotting away under my own guilt doesn’t help anyone. I want to try and make good if I can… do you think I can…?”_

“I think… I think it’s noble of you to try,” Key said, “but Saylee is still going to track you down and bust your butt, and I’m going to help. We can’t just say ‘oh, that’s okay’ and let you go.”

“ _Didn’t expect you to,_ ” Archie said wryly. “ _You wouldn’t be the woman I thought you were if you did._ ” He was silent for a moment. “ _Anyway… I’m glad you’re okay. Good luck with the League._ ”

“Thanks,” Key said. “I can’t wish you luck in finding somewhere that we won’t find you, because it’s not going to happen.”

“ _…heh. I’m sure we’ll see each other again sooner or later, so until then…_ ”

“Sooner,” Key promised.

“ _Later,_ ” Archie said and hung up.

Key clutched her pokénav to her chest, staring blankly at the corridor wall as she tried to figure out what the hell had just happened. _Why is my heart beating so fast?_ She wondered, feeling the rapid throb under her hands.

“ _I’m glad you’re okay…_ ”

 _Snap out of it,_ she told herself. _You just got a call from a major criminal. Stop giggling over it and… and… go tell Jenny? No, she’s not actually a police officer yet. There are actual police officers around. Go find one of them!_

She started walking down the hallway, heading for the elevator down to the lobby. When she opened it, however, there was already someone inside.

“Hello, Key,” Wallace said in surprise. He was draped in his long white coat, but glancing down nervously, Key noticed that he was wearing blue slippers. “You’re up awfully late.”

“You too,” Key said, clutching her pokénav to her chest.

“I had a call from desk security about some conflict with the local Pokémon that I have to come arbitrate,” Wallace sighed. “You?”

“I… uh…” Key took a deep breath, quashing the feeling of being a traitor, and held out her pokénav. “I got a phone call. From Archie… Archibald Irving. I thought I should let someone know.”

“I see…” Wallace said, taking her pokénav from her. “I may be able to look over the call data and see if it’s traceable. I’m sure we don’t need to bother the police quite yet. They have so much else on their plates…” he glanced at Key. “But why did he call you, I wonder?”

“I don’t know,” Key said, thinking of the Beautifly pin in her bag.


	48. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 11
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 32   
> Deaths: 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SAYLEE  
> Skye the Altaria, Nadia the Camerupt
> 
> GUEST STARRING IN SAYLEE’S TEAM  
> Tobias the Togekiss (from After Armageddon and Blood and Bond), Mary the Ampharos (from Blood and Bond), Eric the Espeon (Red’s Espeon), Perun the Pikachu (Red’s Pikachu)
> 
> KEY  
> Thomas the Grovyle, Leslie the Linoone, Python the Mightyena, Manami the Azumarill, Topaz the Flygon
> 
> SEKA  
> Edge the Zangoose, Talyn the Mightyena, Ardenol the Weavile
> 
> JENNY  
> Sarah-Jane the Staraptor, Jack the Jolteon, Mickey the Manectric, Rose the Gardevoir, Craig the Castform, Sophie the Delcatty

“You haven’t seen anyone dressed like this?” Saylee asked for what felt like the millionth time that week, showing the sketch of the uniform to a police officer outside of the stone dome west of Lilycove.

“There’ve been a lot of different people in and out of here, ma’am,” the officer said with a sigh. “Archaeologists, trainers and rubberneckers all over the place. But I think I’d remember a hairstyle that ugly...”

“Thank you,” Saylee said, defeated. She looked around until she spotted Tobias and Eric, who were sitting in front of one of the crystals and staring intently at it.

“Any thoughts?” Saylee said, staring at the woman in the crystal. She had extremely old metal armour and was carrying a sword.

“They’re frozen,” Eric commented, “I’m just not sure what in. It’s not crystal, really, but it’s not ice, either… Maybe _ice_ is the best term. It’s just not something that would melt even if you threw it into the sun.”

“Silver might be able to do something about it,” Tobias murmured. “His Sacred Fire might be able to melt it or dissolve it or… whatever it is. They’re alive in there, I think, just… suspended.”

“Why freeze them alive?” Saylee wondered aloud. “Why not just… kill them?”

“Who knows?” Tobias sighed, fluffing his wings. “Any luck finding one of those green-headed people?”

“Nobody’s seen any of them,” Saylee said, shaking her head. It had been three weeks before her surgeon felt comfortable enough that her arm was healing right to clear her to get on a ship and leave the country, and four more uncomfortable days of sea travel spent fretting about the complete lack of any leads on the Galactic Corp killers or the leaders of Magma and Aqua. It wasn’t too surprising that they hadn’t been found; people on the run, if they weren’t found in the first three days, probably weren’t going to be found until they were ready to be. Archie and the Hyland family were probably on the other side of the world by now, and the Galactic Corp killers.... “I guess I shouldn’t expect them to still be here. Key sent me that article nearly a month ago…” She checked her pokégear. “Well… still got three days until the League starts. Let’s keep looking.” She’d explained to Key that she was injured, but she hadn’t explained about the deaths of the four Pokémon. She couldn’t bring herself to dump that all over the younger girl, not when every time she called it sounded like Key was struggling just to keep herself and her Pokémon motivated to train for the League without Shikoba.

“So, where to now?” Tobias asked, spreading his wings and psychically lifting Saylee onto his back.

“Well, there was nothing at Mt Chimney, Sky Pillar or here, so all that leaves is Mt Pyre,” Saylee said, returning Eric. “It’s a grave mountain, Toby, so we haven’t been able to fly directly to the top before…”

“Leave it to me,” Tobias said, taking to the air, extending a psychic bubble of protection from the wind, which even in Hoenn was dipping towards chilly in early Monua. “I’ll get us through.”

{}

“AERIAL ACE!” Key yelled. Both the Hariyama she was facing and his trainer developed adorably identical panicked expressions as Thomas leapt into the air and slashed past the fighting-type, turning the air itself into blades that slashed the Hariyama until it bled.

“We’re done,” Key called. “Well done!”

“No we’re not!” the Hariyama’s trainer yelled angrily. “Matty, you can still beat that thing!”

“You are done!” the League umpire yelled, rolling onto the field. The preliminary fields small, bare rooms that were only a third the size of a regulation-size battlefield, in order to fit several dozen of them into the lower levels of Evergrande City. “Your Pokémon is _bleeding._ You have lost this battle and are risking permanent disqualification from the League!”

“I’m sorry, man…” the Hariyama muttered, slumping and clutching his wounds.

“You put up a good fight,” Thomas reassured him as the trainer and the umpire started arguing. “Does your trainer make you fight when you’re bleeding a lot?”

“Never gotten to bleeding before,” Matty said ruefully. “Where’d you learn a damn _flying_ move?”

Thomas touched his necklace. Either side of the everstone were a collection of four blue-and-white feathers that had had the necklace string strung through them. “Learned it from a friend,” he muttered, turning back to Key and signalling that he was ready to go in his pokéball.

Key returned him, and the Hariyama’s trainer returned his wounded Pokémon, scowling at the umpire before leaving. The umpire rolled her chair back to her desk and checked her screen.

“Keyanu Weaves… that’s ten for ten!” she said delightedly. “Very well done! Perfect streaks aren’t very common. You’re definitely up to face Sidney the day after tomorrow.” She tapped a few keys. “Your thumbprint has been assigned to room 1412 in the main building. Please check in by nine o’clock tonight. Once you’ve checked into your room, you will only permitted to travel directly between your room and the battlefield and will not be permitted outside contact, so if there’s anyone you need to talk to or anything you need to get, please do so today. Room service will provide you with anything you may need during the course of your challenge. Congratulations, and good luck!”

“Thank you!” Key said, shaking the umpire’s hand and hurrying out of the battle hall.

Her parents were waiting for her outside. “I won! I’m in!” she cried excitedly, hugging her mother, who squealed happily and kissed her on the forehead.

“I knew you’d make a perfect streak,” Norman said proudly, pulling her into another hug. “You’ll have a perfect streak through the League, too, I know it!”

“I hope so,” Key said nervously. “Once I check into my room I can’t speak to anybody but room service and my Pokémon…” she trailed off, looking around.

“Seka will be through if she can win two more in the next three hours,” Norman said, pointing at the clock. “Your friend Jenny just needs one more, but she lost two in a row so I think her morale’s starting to run low.”

“They’ll both make it,” Key said confidently. Only twenty at most were able to challenge the League, and if more than twenty people managed to get ten wins over the course of the three preliminary days then they’d be ranked by how fast they got their ten wins. The League’s central computer tracked the preliminary battles, assigning new opponents to the participants after each battle until they’d gotten ten wins, elected to withdraw or had fought every single one of the other participants once. Quite a chunk had been taken out in the Victory Road collapse due to injury or death of themselves or their Pokémon, but the competition was still fierce. Key wasn’t the only trainer who’d elected to remain in the running after losing a Pokémon, and all those who had were burning with the same kind of desperate fire.

“We’ll buy you dinner to celebrate,” Key’s mother offered. “Just the three of us. Jamie and Sce have control of the younger kids. They haven’t called for help for over an hour,” she added with a laugh. “Everyone’s here to cheer for you and Seka.”

“What time do you have to be checked in?” Norman asked.

“Nine,” Key said, fidgeting. “Umm… has anyone heard from Lee yet?”

“No, but I’m sure she’ll be here soon,” Norman offered. “Why don’t you call her?”

“I… I think her pokégear got broken,” Key lied. Wallace hadn’t exactly ordered her to hand over her pokénav for call tracing, but he had been unusually serious about finding out where Archie was and where he was going. Key wasn’t sure if he intended to actually arrest Archie or just wanted to keep track of him, and she hadn’t asked. She absolutely hadn’t told anybody that she was receiving late-night calls from a concerned international criminal, and Saylee didn’t seem to have noticed that Key was now making and receiving calls from Jenny’s pokégear.

“I’ll go heal my Pokémon and see everyone,” she said. “I need to thank everyone for coming to cheer me on.” She bounced on the spot a couple times, grinning nervously. “I can’t believe I’m finally in the Pokémon League!”

“We can,” her mother laughed, putting her arm around her daughter’s shoulders as they headed down the hallway to the healing station. “Oh, wait until I tell you about the look on the check-in clerk’s _face_ when he saw how many rooms and seats were under our names…”

{}

The mist around the peak of Mt Pyre, normally thick and cloying, seemed to part easily in front of Tobias when he murmured prayers as he descended towards the little house at the peak of the mountain. The mountain was quiet, peaceful and serene.

“This place is beautiful,” Tobias said, looking around. Saylee could only see bare stone, crumbling gravestones and fog, but she suspected that her Togekiss looked at the world through a plane that was not wholly physical, so she simply nodded and walked up to the house to knock on the door.

She knocked several times to no response. “Aren’t they here?” she wondered aloud, trying the handle. The house was locked.

“Maybe she knows,” Tobias said, nodding towards a tall, white figure that was coming towards them through the fog, wreathed in blue fire. As it drew closer, Saylee saw that it was a majestic white Ninetales. Its collection of long, sleek tales fanned out around it like a wreath when it sat down in front of her, peering critically down its nose at her.

“Hello,” Saylee said cautiously. “Are you a guardian of this mountain?”

“I am,” the Ninetales replied, cocking her head. “You have the aura of one who serves the Gods. You were one of those who came before, when the Orbs were stolen.”

“Not to steal them!” Saylee said quickly. “We tried to protect them!”

“I know,” the Ninetales said, flicking her tails in an elegant ripple. “You brought back the lost fragments of the Orbs. They are restored, now, so the old humans have taken them to Evergrande City.”

“The Orbs are restored?” Saylee said in surprise. “Did the police find Marc and Archie and retrieve the Orbs? Why didn’t I hear about this?!”

“I do not know,” the Ninetales said serenely. “Two humans came and returned the Orbs. They were taken by the police. Then the elders returned to Evergrande City with their granddaughter, Lady Phoebe, and the yellow-haired girl who fought with you before.”

“Thank you very much,” Tobias said, bowing his head. “Blessings be on your soul.”

“And yours,” the Ninetales replied. “Walk here in safety.” She turned and trotted off into the mist.

“They don’t have Cubone and Marowak here?” Tobias asked.

Saylee shook her head. “Vulpix and Ninetales are the grave guardians around here,” she said, pulling out her pokégear. “I’d better ask Key about this, and… damn, I’d better find out what’s my deadline for getting to the Pokémon League. I’m pretty sure the preliminaries end tomorrow…”

She dialled Key’s number and waited while it rang. To her surprise, it wasn’t Key that picked up.

“ _Hello? Oh, Saylee, hello!”_

“Wha… Wallace?” Saylee said. “Sorry, I was trying to call Key… wait, do I even have your number?”

“ _I don’t think you do, but I have Key’s pokénav,”_ Wallace replied. “ _She got a call from Archie, you see, so I’m trying to trace it._ ”

“She _did_?” Saylee said in surprise. “Why did he call her?”

“ _Worried about her, it seems. The collapse of Victory Road was all over the news. I suppose he heard about it somewhere. He hasn’t called back yet, but perhaps he will once the League starts and she’s on TV… she’s passed preliminary eliminations, by the way. Ten-win streak. She’ll have to check into her room in the main tower of Evergrande City tonight, though, and once she does she isn’t permitted outside contact until she loses or defeats… well, me, actually. If you want to see her before she goes in, you’d better hurry.”_

“Got it,” Saylee said. “Wait… Evergrande City?”

“ _The city of the Pokémon League. It’s purpose-built for the League and large numbers of powerful trainers and Pokémon. The main tower is where League competitors stay for the duration and the Elites live. I have a truly stunning penthouse on the top floor, wonderful view of the ocean. By the way, I slipped you a room under Norman’s name. He always brings the kids to watch the League, so he was booking more rooms than anyone anyway. You’d be hard-pressed to find a room if you came looking today. The hotels for the spectators have been full up for weeks._ ”

“Thank you so much,” Saylee said, relieved. “I didn’t think of that. Been a busy few days… by the way, do you know a lady named Phoebe?”

“ _Of course I do. She’s an Elite,_ ” Wallace said in surprise. “ _Third rank. Her specialty is ghosts_.”

“Her grandparents are the elderly couple on Mt Pyre,” Saylee sighed. “Of course they are. Her grandparents are there too, aren’t they?”

“ _Indeed they are, and I suspect you know very well what precious trinkets they have with them,_ ” Wallace said. “ _Speaking of them on the phone is not wise. Do hurry up and come cheer on your friend, won’t you_?”

“Of course,” Saylee laughed. “Okay, then. Where _is_ Evergrande City?”

“ _Head directly east over Sootopolis and you’ll soon see it. The central tower is eighty stories tall, so frankly, if you don’t see it within half an hour, do get your prescription checked._ ”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Saylee promised, hanging up and checking the time on her phone. It was six o’clock. “C’mon, then,” she said, climbing onto Tobias’ back. “Both Key and the Orbs are at Evergrande City.”

“Very handy,” Tobias said, spreading his wings. The mist parted ahead of him as they took to the air.

{}

“Key, if you don’t take your room by nine, you’ll be disqualified,” Norman pointed out. “We’ll meet Saylee when she gets here.”

“I’m sure she wishes you all the best,” Kate added, hugging her daughter. “And I’m sure your brother already knows that you’ll be fantastic out there,” she added, stroking Leslie’s ears. Leslie licked her hand, looking forlorn. Key had stayed out in the lobby as long as possible because Leslie wanted to see her brother before they went into the League, but she was running out of time.

“You’ve got fifteen minutes before you’re disqualified,” Norman said warningly. “You’re cutting it very fine.”

“Okay,” Key sighed, hugging Leslie. “Sorry, Les. But you’ll get to see everyone after you win, okay?” Leslie nodded, licking her cheek. Key returned her and got up. “Alright… I’ll see you guys when I’m a Champion!”

“Go get ‘em,” Norman said, hugging her.

“You’ll be fantastic,” Kate said, kissing her cheek. “Go on now.”

Key nodded and ran over to the check-in desk to sign in. She waved at her parents one last time before heading for the lift, taking it up past the ten floors of dorms for League hopefuls and into the floors for League contenders.

“Oh, this is nice,” she said to herself as she stepped into her new room. Instead of a poky four-bed dorm room, it was extremely spacious, with a comfy red double bed and a plush white carpet. She looked around, opening a few doors to find an ensuite bathroom and a private training room that was big enough for anything but a Wailord. She released her Pokémon, disliking the silence and feeling of being alone.

“Ain’t this fancy,” Python said, sniffing around the room.

“What a nice view!” Topaz said, flying over to the window and pulling the curtains open. “Look at all the ocean!”

“I’ve seen enough ocean to last me a lifetime, thanks,” Thomas grumbled, flopping on the plump red couch that was sitting in front of a widescreen TV. Key turned it on and saw only a placard promising live coverage of the Elite challenges and a note saying that she was fourth in line to fight Sidney, the lowest-ranked member of the Elite Four.

“You can’t blame someone who grew up in the desert for being interested in the sea, even after everything that’s happened,” Manami said.

“You’re a water-type. You’re biased,” Thomas argued. Leslie bit his elbow on the way past to curling up on the foot of Key’s bed.

“Hey, don’t go to sleep!” Python objected. “We’ve got a big battle tomorrow!”

“I don’t know… you fought ten battles today,” Key admitted. “I think you all deserve a break. Besides, we _nailed_ it today—I’m sure we’ll handle Sidney just fine.”

“D’you know anything about his Pokémon?” Topaz asked. “If he’s an Elite, does he have rare and unusual ones? Powerful ones?”

“Dark-types,” Key said, sitting down and scratching Python’s ears. “The lineup changes every year, so I don’t know exactly which ones, though…”

“Tell us what you know anyway,” Thomas suggested. “It’ll make a good bedtime story.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New reviewer ShinigamiMaster left a comment that I think pretty much sums up this fic: “When Calamity Calls, it calls COLLECT…” I don’t know how to feel about the fact that the Hoenn League, which I’ve written as benevolent, cost us far more Pokémon than two major gods fighting it out…
> 
> Also, I am pleased to announce that after nine difficult months, a healthy 46-page dissertation has been born unto me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go curl up and whimper until the judgement on it comes back from on high.


	49. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 11
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 32   
> Deaths: 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SAYLEE  
> Skye the Altaria, Nadia the Camerupt
> 
> GUEST STARRING IN SAYLEE’S TEAM  
> Tobias the Togekiss (from After Armageddon and Blood and Bond), Mary the Ampharos (from Blood and Bond), Eric the Espeon (Red’s Espeon), Perun the Pikachu (Red’s Pikachu)
> 
> KEY  
> Thomas the Grovyle, Leslie the Linoone, Python the Mightyena, Manami the Azumarill, Topaz the Flygon

Saylee yawned, opened her eyes, and rolled over to see a large pair of glassy purple eyes. They were pushed aside by a small pair of purple human ones.

“…Hello?” Saylee said tentatively to the little girl who was staring at her.

“We came to wake you up,” the Espeon said. “The first match has started. Key’s fourth up, so we want to be ready to go before the third one is finished.”

“That’s the time?” Saylee gasped, sitting up and looking around for her bedside table, where the info display was glowing. Saylee grabbed her glasses and pulled them on one-handedly so that she could see that the time was quarter past nine in the morning. “Thanks, uh…”

“I’m Yori,” the Espeon said, flicking her tail, “and this is Ari.” The little girl waved at Saylee.

“Hello, Ari,” Saylee said, sitting up and kicking off the covers. “Hello, Yori. Didn’t I see you two in Petalburg once?”

“Yes,” Yori said as Ari nodded. “Norman saw that you checked in late last night. Key was worried that you wouldn’t make it.”

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Saylee said, pulling off her pyjamas and wincing as pain shot up and down her arm. She’d gotten in after eleven the previous night, and as Wallace had said, a room was already booked for her under Norman Weaves’ party. It was a twin room, with someone else already asleep in the other bed, but she hadn’t seen who because she’d done her best to creep in, change and get into bed in dark and silence without waking them up. “Do you know how Key’s doing?”

“She’s very sad about Shikoba dying,” Yori said, looking nervously at Ari, who had sat up on Saylee’s bed with her head buried in her knees. “But she wants to win for him. We haven’t seen her today. She isn’t allowed out of her room unless she’s battling. League rules.”

“She’ll do great,” Saylee said, pulling on a t-shirt and some denim shorts. “So where is everybody?” Ari shook her head, burying her head in her knees. “Ari? Are you okay, sweetie?”

“I’m sorry, but… well, I know it’s hot, but do you have anything more… covering?” Yori asked. “Longer trousers or sleeves or something… the injuries upset her.” The bruises from Lavender Town had pretty much entirely healed and her sling covered her right arm and shoulder, but she still had scars and scrapes across her calves and left arm that were very visible.

“Oh… I’m sorry,” Saylee said, digging through her bag again. “Hmmm… I have this sundress that my grandma made me, but it’s spaghetti straps… oh, wait, I have a cardigan too, it’s just cool enough for that now.”

“Thank you very much,” Yori said with a nod. “I’ll let her know when it’s okay for her to look.”

“Sure,” Saylee said, pulling her shirt and shorts off and switching to the long, light dress with a print of orange-and-yellow autumn leaves and white floral cardigan. She didn’t ask why Ari was so badly upset by her injuries; like Ledah, she was sure, not all of the kids who wound up at Norman’s were there because their family was dead. “Better?”

Yori hopped up next to Ari, licking her cheek. Ari peered up, then nodded, smiling brightly and hopping down from the bed. She held out her right hand, and Saylee took it and allowed the little girl to lead her down to the vast canteen where several hundred spectators were dallying for breakfast before a later match. There were buffet tables all along the walls and in a line down the middle of the room, while screens above them showed a young man with a Hitmonlee fighting another young man with an Absol. Ari and Yori led her to a table that had been commandeered by Key’s parents and twenty-odd students and children of the Petalburg Gym.

“Good to see you again, Saylee,” Key’s mother Kate called as Saylee took a seat. “I’m glad you could make it. We’ve got front-row seats, so hopefully Key will spot you.”

“Yeah,” Saylee said, sitting down. The group seemed to have commandeered a whole buffet table to themselves, passing a bowl of cereal down to Ari, waffles to Yori and a stack of pancakes to Saylee on request. “Thanks a lot. I’m sorry it took me so long. There was an incident in Kanto….” She rubbed the back of her head. “Does anybody know anything about people in grey jumpsuits with green hair?”

“I know there was a bulletin a while back about people with that description who were complicit in a murder, but I haven’t seen any of them,” Norman said, shaking his head, “or heard of any reported sightings. Have they struck again?”

“Yeah,” Saylee said, drizzling honey on her pancakes. “I’m taking off after them as soon as the League is over… I’ll be here to support Key, Seka and Jenny first, though.” She rolled up one of her pancakes, dipped it in a puddle of honey and started to take bites out of it.

“Jenny Hawkshaw is right after Key,” said a tall man with glasses. Saylee vaguely recalled that his name was Sceada. “And then Seka’s seventh.”

“You can let your Pokémon out to watch, too,” Norman continued. “Leslie was waiting to see her brother and your Sandslash. With luck, she can spot them in the crowd!”

Saylee’s pancake fell from her hand as it started to shake. _No_ , she realized. _When the League is over, I’ll have to tell her… I’ll have to tell Leslie that her… that her_ brother _is_ dead _…_

 _“_ Saylee? Are you okay?” Kate said with concern. “You’re shaking. Saylee…?”

Saylee caught Yori staring at her and immediately shut off her thoughts. “They’re dead,” she choked out. “Zac… Sanborn… Molly… and Oberon. I haven’t told Key yet… please don’t tell her,” she begged, her voice choking up as she thought of her dead Pokémon. “Please. She’s already upset over losing Shikoba. I don’t want her or Leslie to know about Zac and Sanborn’s deaths, not yet…”

“Wait, what?” Rob said in surprise. “How the hell did you lose four Pokémon?!”

“The ones in grey outfits,” Yori commented, staring intently at Saylee. “They roused… angry ghosts. Many died.”

Saylee glanced down in surprise as tiny arms wrapped around her. Ari glomped onto her, hugging her fiercely.

“Thanks, Ari,” Saylee said with a sniff. “Seriously, please don’t tell Key. She doesn’t need put off. I’ll tell her after she’s won.”

Onscreen, Sidney’s last Pokémon went down and the crowd started cheering uproariously for the contestant. The view cut off and was replaced by a photo of the next challenger, a dark-haired, olive-skinned lady who was competing with a team of six.

“Alright, everyone, eat up,” Norman called. “She’s the third, which means we need to finish eating and be in the waiting room before she’s finished if we’re going to get to our seats quickly!”

{}

Key fidgeted with her pokéballs as the elevator descended towards the battle arena. She hadn’t been able to watch any of the previous battles, but she’d been able to hear the volume of cheering. She couldn’t tell if the cheering was for the challengers or the Elites. Probably both.

The elevator finally stopped, and the doors opened to a cheering crowd. The woman who had been before Key bounced into the elevator with a broad smile.

“Congratulations,” Key said, stepping out of the elevator.

“Good luck!” the woman said happily, waving as the door closed to take her back to her room.

Key turned and faced the roaring crowd.

The arena itself was bigger than anything that Key had ever fought on. It was a dark, metallic indoor field that was flat, bare and bigger than her dad’s whole dojo. She could barely see Sidney standing at the far end of the arena, a distant figure in black and tan. Thousands and thousands of people were packed into the seats, cheering loudly for her as the announcer called out her name and where she was from. High up in the air, she could see through the backs of holographic screens that were angled above the arena, giving the audience close-up views of her and Sidney—who was notorious for sporting outrageous hairstyles, but this year was wearing a relatively subdued small red Mohawk—without blocking the view of the battlefield.

Looking around, Key saw, up and off to her right, the huge group of her parents and the orphanage kids. At the end, somebody in an orange dress stood up on her seat, waving her arms above her head before getting pushed to sit back down.

“Lee!” Key shouted, waving and grinning. “Mum! Dad! Everyone!”

“KEEEEEEEY!” they cheered loudly. There was a chuckle from the other end of the stadium, amplified through microphones.

“Welcome, Key Weaves!” Sidney said. “I’m Sidney of the Elite Four! Smile for the cameras!” Key’s face was blown up on the screens around the stadium. Key panicked for a moment, before getting a grip on herself and smiling at the camera, giving it a thumbs-up. “I like that look you’re giving me!” Sidney laughed. “I guess you’ll give me a good match. That’s good! Looking real good! ALL RIGHT!” There was a surge of cheering from the crowd. “You and me, let’s enjoy a battle that can only be staged here in the Pokémon League!”

Key palmed Manami’s pokéball as the screens counted down from three. On zero, she and Sidney released their first Pokémon.

“Sand-Attack, Phelan!” Sidney shouted as his Mightyena appeared. The black canine responded immediately, shooting across the field to circle Manami, kicking sand into her face.

“Surf, Manami!” Key shouted. Manami washed the sand away with a wall of water that knocked Phelan off his paws. “Good! Now get him with Brick Break!”

Phelan howled in pain as Manami’s small fists smashed into him with tremendous force. He slumped, unconscious.

“Quick!” Sidney laughed, returning Phelan. The crowd cheered. “Next up… Ciaran!”

His new Pokémon was a tall, green creature covered in wicked green spikes. It grinned unpleasantly at Manami.

“Manami, return!” Key shouted, returning Manami as soon as she recognized the grass-type Cacturne. “Go, Thomas!”

“Fighting fire with fire, huh?” Sidney called. “Well… you know what I mean. Faint Attack, Ciaran!”

Ciaran rolled past Thomas, trying to attack him from behind. Thomas dodged nimbly, but Ciaran got him on the upswing, knocking him into the air. Thomas gripped onto the wall, hanging above Ciaran.

“Quick Attack!” Key ordered. Thomas shot towards Ciaran, knocking him back.

“Faint Attack again!” Sidney ordered. Ciaran smashed Thomas into the air again.

“Aerial Ace!” Key shouted as soon as Thomas was in the air. He turned, getting purchase on the open air before striking down at Ciaran and knocking the grass-type straight out.

“We might be the same type, but I’m _way_ out of your League,” Thomas sneered as Sidney returned Ciaran.

“Getting cocky, are we?” Sidney called. “You might regret that when you meet Sholto!”

His next Pokémon was a Shiftry, a brown-bodied grass-type with long white hair and beard.  “Aerial Ace again!” Key ordered. Thomas leapt into the air.

“Extrasensory!” Sidney ordered. Thomas fell out of the air, hands clasped to his head as he shuddered.

“Thomas! Shake it off!” Key cried.

“I doubt an underevolved Pokémon can shake off Sholto’s psychic power,” Sidney replied. “Now, while it’s down, Torment!”

Thomas cried out again as Sholto’s powers turned dark, but he suddenly leapt into the air, eyes glowing with rage.

“Don’t you DARE underestimate me!” he shouted.

“Aerial Ace!” Key shouted quickly, seeing what he was going for. Thomas struck Sholto to the ground in a swift blow.

“Well done!” Sidney called, returning his Shiftry. “Very well done! Alright, next up is Cronan!”

His next release was a huge red Crawdaunt with tremendous claws. “Thomas, return! Leslie, go!” She returned her Grovyle and replaced him with her Linoone, who appeared on the ground in front of Key and looked around questioningly.

“I saw Saylee,” Key promised softly, “which means that Zac and Sanborn are watching, too. Do your best!” Leslie sniffed the air, looking around. She looked confused.

“Strength, Cronan!” Sidney ordered. Cronan charged towards Leslie, swinging one of its giant claws towards her.

“Get out of the way, Leslie!” Key shouted. Leslie swiftly jinked out of the way. “Now, Slash!”

Leslie raked her claws along Cronan’s side, but the armoured Pokémon didn’t seem to notice it. “You can’t pierce Cronan’s hide that easily!” Sidney shouted. “Surf!”

Cronan raised a wall of water the same way that Manami had, sending it crashing into Leslie. The Linoone was caught up in the wall of water.

“THUNDERBOLT, LESLIE!” Key shouted, praying that Leslie could hear her through the water. From the way the wave crackled as electricity spread across it, frying Cronan in his shell, she probably could. “Brilliant, Les!”

“Full of surprises, aren’t you?” Sidney said, returning his Crawdaunt. “Well, then, let’s see you face my best. Go, Adar!”

“An Absol!” Key gasped, returning Leslie. Absol were very rare and very rarely deigned to fight with humans. Saylee had met one named Cassandra, who had followed her around for a while because her future was “interesting to watch”.

“Adar can see your every move before you make it,” Sidney said, tossing his Absol’s pokéball in his hand. “So, who will you face him with?”

“Manami!” Key called, releasing her Azumarill again. “Watch out! That Absol will be able to read your moves!”

“Slash!” Sidney ordered. Manami tried to bounce aside as Adar lunged, but he swung his claws around to intercept her, slashing down her side.

“You can’t escape,” Adar growled, circling her and attacking again.

“Ice Beam!” Key called. Manami shot off a blast of ice, chasing Adar with the beam as he jinked and dodged around the attack.

“Keep it up, Manami!” Key shouted, seeing the floor of the arena ice up.

“You can’t hit him!” Sidney called. “Adar, use Aerial Ace!”

Adar tried to leap into the air, but his paws skidded wildly on the ice.

“My goodness,” Manami said as he collapsed. “Didn’t you _predict_ that?”

“Oh wow… he can predict _your_ moves, but not _his_!” Key laughed.

“Shut up,” Adar snapped, rolling to his feet and leaping into the air.

“Ice Beam, quick!” Key shouted. Manami’s ice beam didn’t hit Adar, but it did make him miss her. Adar skidded on the ground again. “Now, Brick Break!”

Adar tried to dodge, but he couldn’t get traction. Manami’s small but powerful fists smashed him into the ground hard enough to crack the ice. Adar collapsed, unconscious.

“Well, how do you like that?” Sidney sighed, returning Adar. “I lost! Eh, it was fun, so it doesn’t matter…” his words were drowned out by a huge wave of cheering from the crowd. Key looked around to see her parents, Saylee and the kids on their feet, clapping and cheering.

“We did it!” Manami said happily, trotting up to her. “We got that snobbish Absol… did we win?”

“We did!” Key shrieked happily, hugging her. “Oh, wow! We’ve beaten a member of the _Elite Four_!”

Sidney waved at her, then turned and headed for the back of the battlefield where, presumably, a healing machine was set. Key heard a beeping behind her and turned to see the elevator light flashing.

“Alright, when we get back up to the room, we’re having an awesome dinner!” Key said, returning Manami and waving to her family and friends one last time before turning and trotting towards the lift. When the doors opened, Jenny stepped out.

“How did you do?” Jenny asked. Key grinned so widely that she couldn’t make any noise except a squeak. “That well, huh? Congrats!”

“Good luck!” Key said, high-fiving her on her way past. “See you in the second round!”

Key waited until the elevator doors closed behind her to start jumping up and down and screaming happily.

{}

With the League in season, Evergrande City was a 24/7 blaze of light and activity to put Mauville City (or at least, Mauville City before the earthquakes) to shame. As well as the competing trainers and those who’d been knocked out of the running there were friends, family, battle fans and vacationers, all escaping the destruction and rebuilding of the outside world for a couple of weeks of sporting entertainment. There wasn’t a hotel room to be found, but at every hour of the day there was a café open, streaming or replaying battles and highlights, and he figured nobody would notice him sleeping in a corner booth. It would hardly be the first time he’d slept rough; really, it was somewhat nostalgic, reminding him of stakeouts with Emin where they’d take turns sleeping in uncomfortable public places while tailing a suspect.

He wasn’t the only one doing so, either; the first three cafés that he peeked into were already full, and finally he figured he’d just sit on a stool and drink coffee until one of the other drifters woke up and left. He was scanning for a viable location when he spotted a familiar face, albeit one he’d only seen in photographs before. He was too well-trained to freeze up and stare, but he altered his route to follow the other man at a nonchalant distance while opening his pokégear and checking the suspect photos.

_Sharp features under sharp blue hair… Samuel Juno, 30 years old, Head of Publicity for Galactic Energy Corporation… now, what is he doing out here?_

Evergrande City wasn’t a real city, not in the sense that it had a large population year-round that raised families there; there were no residential areas, the active “city centre” switching very sharply into surrounding forests and cliffs. Juno strode out onto one of them, talking quietly on his pokétch. His follower was debating whether or not to step past the cover of the buildings and confront the man openly when Juno called, “I know you’re following me. Might as well come out and tell me why.”

 _Ah. Well, then…_ “Perhaps I am losing my touch,” he commented, striding forwards with his hands held out nonthreateningly. “Not that I intended to follow you, I assure you. I simply spotted you in the crowd and wished to ask you a few questions.”

Juno gave him a calculating look. “I’ve already spoken to the police,” he said, folding his arms. “What else could you possibly have to ask me?”

“Well, for starters… what are you doing here?”

“What, I can’t enjoy the Pokémon League?” Juno said. “What are _you_ doing here?” He checked his pokétch and then smiled unsettlingly. “Watching somebody battle? The League’s awfully dangerous, this year, what with what happened in Victory Road…”

“We are not here to talk about—” he snapped, stepping forwards and trying to see what Juno was looking at on his pokétch, but the second he moved too close Juno _moved_ and there was one blow to his legs and another to his back and—

—he was falling, the sea rushing up to meet him and—

—a voice cried “I got you!” just before a hand closed around his and everything _twisted_ and faded to black.


	50. Chapter 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 11
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 32   
> Deaths: 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SAYLEE  
> Skye the Altaria, Nadia the Camerupt
> 
> KEY  
> Thomas the Grovyle, Leslie the Linoone, Python the Mightyena, Manami the Azumarill, Topaz the Flygon
> 
> SEKA  
> Edge the Zangoose, Talyn the Mightyena, Ardenol the Weavile
> 
> JENNY  
> Sarah-Jane the Staraptor, Jack the Jolteon, Mickey the Manectric, Rose the Gardevoir, Craig the Castform, Sophie the Delcatty

“So, who’re we facing today?” Python asked, licking the bottom of his bowl. “Do I get to do anything? Not that Thomas, Les and ‘Nami aren’t awesome, but I didn’t get to do anything the other day.”

“You get to do _everything_ today,” Key promised. “We’re fighting Phoebe. She uses ghosts, so you’ll be the front line.”

Python’s ears flattened and his hackles rose. “ _Ghosts?”_ he snarled. Everyone edged away from him.

“Oh,” Key said, remembering Polly’s death on Mt Pyre. “I mean, if you don’t want to…”

“Oh, trust me, I _want_ to,” Python growled. “Let me _at_ ‘em.”

“…OK, then,” Key said, turning on the TV. After she’d returned from her match, she’d found it showing the other matches, so she’d seen both Jenny and Seka defeat Sidney and make their way through, along with the other ten matches on the second day. Sidney had taken out seven of the twenty trainers who had advanced, leaving thirteen to face Phoebe. _Unlucky Thirteen,_ Key couldn’t help thinking. Phoebe had been an Elite for six years and had infamously wiped all challengers in four of those years.

There were no matches being shown on the tv, just a notice telling Key that she was second up and that she should make her way to the elevator once the first match started. There was a countdown beneath it to the beginning of the first match.

“Who’s backup if anything happens to Python?” Topaz asked.

“Well, you first up,” Key said, petting her Flygon’s head. “Then Thomas. I’ve got to warn you, Phoebe uses all ghosts. Stay calm and don’t let them freak you out, and I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“I don’t intend to let the _ghosts_ frighten _me_ ,” Python said, licking his lips.

“We believe you, dear,” Manami said, looking away from his grin. “We really, really do.”

{}

“Uh… wow,” Rob said uncertainly. “This… is…”

“Yeah,” Saylee said, leaning forwards with her chin in her hand. “Python has… issues with ghosts.”

“We noticed,” Kate said, covering Ari’s ears with a wince as Phoebe’s Banette shrieked in pain and writhed around Python’s fangs. Phoebe was a darkly tanned young woman with a bright blue bikini top and sarong, bright pink flowers in her hair, and a bright smile which had faded as Python wiped out her Dusclops and Banette with ease. She returned her Banette and replaced it with another, though the look on her face suggested that she didn’t have to be Morty to see how well that would end.

Key regularly yelled “Crunch!”, but a close watch made it pretty clear that Python was Crunching away whether or not she ordered him to, and Saylee feverently hoped that Key wouldn’t be penalized for Python acting out of control. He _hated_ ghosts.

“Key’s certainly setting the bar for today high,” Norman said as Python bit down on the new Banette. Purple mist covered the field from the ghosts’ attacks, but whatever they were doing, Python wasn’t noticing it. Phoebe had quickly stopped shouting commands, instead controlling her ghosts psychically, but it wasn’t affording her any sort of edge. The mist started to turn thick and black when she released her Sableye. The fog boiled and swirled thickly around Python, who burst through it easily and smashed one of the Sableye’s eyes under his fangs. The crowd gasped.

“No perfect streak for Phoebe this year, hmm?” Sceada muttered to Rob. Phoebe returned her Sableye and produced another Dusclops, who went down in two Crunches. When Phoebe returned it, she didn’t replace it. An uneasy cheer rose up from the crowd as it sunk in that Python had won the battle in less than ten minutes.

“She won!” Neffi hooted excitedly. Key gave Python’s ears a scratch before returning him and going to wait by the lift. Key’s parents, the orphanage kids and Saylee all cheered for Key and Python, but most of the spectators were hurrying away, unsettled by the ghosts and Python’s rampage.

“…Well,” Sei said, standing up. “That happened.”

“…can we go now?” Mila asked, peering nervously as the purple mist that continued to swirl on the battlefield.

“I’m going to stay, since Jenny’s up next,” Saylee said, watching the elevator doors.

“Me too,” Rob said, standing up to let some of the other kids past him. “I’ll see you guys when you come back for Seka’s match.”

“She’s fourth, right?” Kate said. “We’ll see you then.” The group started pushing through the mixed outrush and inrush of spectators for Jenny’s match.

The lift doors finally opened, letting Key in and Jenny out. Saylee and the remaining crowd clapped for her, but the ranks of battle fans were noticeably thinner than they had been for the matches against Sidney. As such, Ledah and Bacent were able to easily hop over several rows of seats behind Saylee and Rob in order to sit next to them.

“I feel kinda bad for this girl. The stadium really emptied out after Key’s match,” Rob said, high-fiving them.

“I hear Phoebe has that effect on people,” Bacent said. “Hey, Saylee. Not chasing dangerous criminals today?”

“Not at this second, no,” Saylee said, side-eying Ledah, who was pointedly ignoring her. “That can change at a moment’s notice, though.”

“We’re not thieving,” Bacent objected. “We came to see the matches, same as everyone else. We’re just not here for all the lectures that The Man’ll throw at us if he sees us. Ow,” he added with a wince as Phoebe’s Banette wiped out Jenny’s Manectric, Mickey.

“She doesn’t look too good,” Rob commented, gesturing at Jenny. “She’s gone really pale.”

“I think the ghosts are getting to her,” Saylee said. Jenny’s voice was shaking as she gave commands, and she kept staring at things in the mist that nobody else could see.

“Two thousand says she rallies,” Ledah said as Jenny released Jack the Jolteon, who took the Banette apart in a flurry of Pin Missile.

“Five thousand says she doesn’t,” Bacent responded. “She’s got good Pokémon, but she’s freaking out way too much.”

“You realize you’re backing a police officer in training?” Saylee said, mainly to needle Ledah.

“I withdraw my bet,” Ledah said immediately. “I make it a point of pride never to support the police.”

“I don’t know, it sounds like you keep them in work,” Saylee said. Rob and Bacent, who were sitting between the two of them, exchanged glances.

“How about we watch the nice, creepy match in quiet?” Rob suggested. An Earthquake took down Jack. “That’s both of them with two down now... does that give Jenny an advantage, since she’s got four left and Phoebe has three?”

“I don’t know… Mickey and Jack were her best bet for taking down ghosts,” Saylee said, thinking over what she knew of Jenny’s team. Jenny chose Sophie next. The Delcatty fired off an Ice Beam at her trainer’s instigation. “Then again, three of the ones she has left are normal-types, so Phoebe’s best moves won’t work…”

“Besides, Phoebe’s got her cool back,” Bacent pointed out. “Python kinda shook her up, but now she’s back on the ball and Jenny’s seriously freaking out.” Microphones relayed Jenny and Phoebe’s commands to the crowd, and Jenny’s voice was audibly shaking.

“Whatever that mist does, it’s psychological warfare, and it’s _nasty_ ,” Saylee said with a shiver, wishing she’d given her Silph Scope to Jenny. The mist reminded her of the fog around Lavender Town, the way the random shadows shifted to become strange and terrifying when the town felt threatened…

The whole crowd gasped and winced as Sophie collapsed under a particularly harsh Thunderbolt. Jenny returned her and released her Castform Craig, ordering him to use Sunny Day to turn him into his sun form. The light that shone across the field cut away the worst of the mist. Doing so, however, made him vulnerable to Shadow Ball, and one quickly bowled him over.

“Do you think there’s a point where they stop the fight for the sake of the challenger’s mental health?” Rob asked.

“If they do, it’s not quite yet,” Saylee replied as Jenny and Craig both rallied enough to knock the Banette down with a powerful, flaming weather ball. The sunlight clearing away the mist made both of them look more confident, even as Phoebe released her Sableye, which immediately used Double Team, surrounding Craig with dozens of Sableyes. Jenny started pointing out targets for Weather Ball, but Craig just took out one image after another. One finally collapsed, lying still and not vanishing.

“Oh, tell me they’re not going to fall for that,” Ledah hissed. “The other images are still there, _the other images are still_ —she fell for it.” When Craig advanced on the fallen Sableye, it flickered and vanished, and the real Sableye attacked him from behind.

“What does she have left?” Bacent asked Saylee.

“Gardevoir and Staraptor,” Saylee recalled. Rob winced.

“Well, ghost moves won’t actually affect a normal-type, will they?” Bacent asked. “So half of that thing’s attacks will still be neutered if she goes for—yep, she chose the Staraptor…”

Sarah-Jane swooped over the Sableye, which tried using Double Team again, but while Staraptor didn’t have as keen eyes as the likes of Pidgeot or Fearow, flying-types tended to have good eyes for watching what was happening on the ground from the air, and her Aerial Ace bowled Sableye over and out.

Phoebe released her last Dusclops and smiled. “Ice Beam!” she called.

“Sarah!” Jenny screamed as her Staraptor was knocked out of the air by a powerful blast of ice. “Shake it off!”

“Rock Slide!” Phoebe shouted. Sarah-Jane, unable to shake off the ice in time, was buried under the rocks until Jenny returned her.

“That leaves her with Rose…” Saylee said as Jenny released her Gardevoir.

“Hypnosis!” Jenny ordered. The Dusclops wavered, floating limply in the air. “Now! Shadow Ball!” Jenny shouted. The limp Dusclops was bowled over by the Shadow Ball, but Rose was now shaking as hard as her trainer. “One more time!” Jenny cried desperately.

Phoebe smirked. “Good morning, sleepyhead,” she sang as her Dusclops awoke, firing off its own Shadow Ball at Rose. Both Pokémon were knocked over by their enemy’s attack.

“…what happens if it’s a mutual complete knockout?” Ledah asked.

“I think the judges are waiting to see if either of ‘em get up,” Bacent said. Jenny slumped to her knees, shaking violently, staring at her Gardevoir.

Then, shuddering and weak, Rose staggered back upright. She was swaying, but she started forming a Shadow Ball.

“That’s enough!” Phoebe called, returning her unmoving Dusclops. “We have a winner!”

Jenny broke into open sobs as she staggered over to hug Rose before returning the weakened Gardevoir. She all but ran to the elevator out.

“Could you save my seat?” Saylee asked Rob, standing up. “I _really_ need the bathroom. I’ll be back for Seka’s.”

“Will do,” Rob promised, shifting to sit sideways with his legs stretched across Saylee’s seat while she got up to leave.

A few people were going in and out of the seats, but there wasn’t the same kind of mass exodus there had been after the frightening first fight, so Saylee was easily able to get down to the exit doors and to the bathroom. When she came out, she was shocked to run into Jenny, who was talking on her Pokégear.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Jenny promised. “If you want to call someone else… no, not that one, that’s… that’s my late mother’s number… mm-hm. Look for ‘Richard’, or maybe it’s ‘Richie’… that’s his brother. He lives in Sinnoh, but he might be able to talk to… thank you.” She hung up, chewing her lip.

“Jenny? What’s wrong?” Saylee asked. “You won. What are you doing out here?”

“Oh… h-hi, Saylee,” Jenny said, wiping her eyes. Saylee leaned up on her tiptoes to give the taller woman a hug. Jenny squeezed her extremely tightly—too tightly, Saylee’s arm flared in pain, but she didn’t say anything, knowing how badly rattled the older woman was—for a moment before sighing and letting her go. “I’ll be fine,” she sniffed, wiping her nose. “I just… the things I saw in the mist…” she shuddered. “They… were… it was freaky.”

Saylee nodded, choosing not to press her for details. She hadn’t forgotten the terrifying visions she’d seen the first time she’d visited Lavender Town, witnessing, among other things, her dead brother. She probably never would, definitely not around two in the morning. “You haven’t dropped out, have you?”

“Yeah, but not because of the mists,” Jenny said, walking quickly down the hall. “When I got back to my room to heal my Pokémon, I got a call from reception. Something’s happened to my dad, and… well, I have to go see him.”

“Is he okay?” Saylee asked with alarm.

“I don’t know… it doesn’t sound like he’s seriously hurt, just…” Jenny shook her head. “He’s probably going to be upset that I ditched my League challenge, and Rose is going to be SO pissed after she won like that, but… after… well, the mists really shook me up, you know? I saw my… I got scared. I have to see if he’s okay.” Saylee had to run to keep up with her quick stride. “Can you tell Seka what happened if you get a chance? Tell her and Key that I’m sorry I’m not here to watch their battles. I’m sure I can catch them on TV.”

“I’ll let them know,” Saylee promised. “I hope your father gets better soon.”

“Thanks,” Jenny said with a wan smiled, waving as she spotted the front doors and her speed walk turned into a flat-out sprint, grabbing Sarah-Jane’s pokéball as she went.

{}

Everyone was sitting slightly away from Python as they watched Jenny’s match and the match after. He didn’t seem to notice, instead looking grimly pleased with himself. Key occasionally reached down and scratched his ears, but he seemed quite content curled up on his own. Leslie lay with her head on Key’s lap. She seemed sad about something, but Key couldn’t figure out what.

“What the hell happened?” Thomas asked after Jenny left the field. “What was all that crying about?”

“Maybe she’s frightened of ghosts,” Topaz sighed. “Poor girl.”

“I can’t blame her,” Key said with a shudder. More than once, during the battle, she thought she’d heard Raphael and Shikoba’s voices, and out of the corner of her eye she’d thought she’d seen the fluttering of colourful wings over her head... “Ghosts _are_ creepy.”

“But delicious,” Python growled.

“Do you work at being that creepy, or does it come naturally?” Thomas asked, fidgeting with the feathers on his necklace.

“Simmer down, you two,” Manami ordered. “Do you think Jenny’ll be alright to battle tomorrow?”

“I’m sure she will,” Key said, half wanting to wave a hand between Thomas and Python’s locked glares but worrying that she would lose it. She stroked Leslie’s ears while the Linoone closed her eyes and curled up with her face buried in her tail.

“Is Leslie alright?” Manami said. “She’s been so… well, I can’t say quiet, but…”

“Well, we’re all a little spooked right now,” Topaz said. Her eyes flickered quickly to Python and away, but the Mightyena saw it.

“Why are you all so pissed off?” he snapped. “I _won_ for us, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but you won by being a psychopath,” Thomas pointed out.

“Thomas!” Manami snapped.

“What? You telling me you weren’t freaked out watching the playback?” Thomas demanded. “You know what you were like? Back at Mt Pyre! When you freaked out and nearly tore Saylee’s throat out because Polly—”

“SHUT IT!” Python snarled, leaping to his feet.

“Python!” Key cried, stepping in front of him. “ _Please_ calm down! Thomas, please leave him alone. He did a good job, okay?”

“Stop it,” Python grumbled, turning away. “I can _smell_ it on all of you, okay? I can smell that you’re scared. And the truth is, among all that mist, I _did_ think I was on Mt Pyre, okay? And it freaked me out too. Fresh grief and anger all over again, got it? You think you’d keep it cool getting smacked in the face with losing the person you care about most in the world— _again_?”

Thomas opened his mouth, then looked away. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“But y’know what? That’s not actually the reason I’m pissed off,” Python continued. “Aside from in that battle, I’m dealing. After a few months, you’re dealing, unless you get the lost loved one shoved in your face, like Jenny and I did. You know who isn’t dealing? Leslie.”

“What are you talking about?” Key said, looking back at Leslie bewildered.

“Do you have to be able to _smell_ her upset to know that she’s upset?” Python demanded. “What the hell is wrong with you idiots?! Okay, Topaz is a little newer, but Thomas, Manami, _Key_ —how the hell long have we been fighting together? You’re telling me that you can’t tell that she’s _grieving_ without Zac here to translate for you? Get a damn grip!”

With that, he turned and stalked through to the training room.

“…Leslie?” Key asked, reaching out to her Linoone. Leslie peered out at her. “ _Are_ you grieving?”

Leslie slowly nodded.

“Oh, gods, I’m sorry, Leslie,” Key said, pulling Leslie onto her lap and hugging her. “Is it because of Shikoba?”

Slowly, hesitantly, Leslie shook her head. She flicked her ears a few times and waved her claws in a way that, when Key really paid attention, did seem to convey that it wasn’t that she didn’t find Shikoba’s death sad, but that something else was weighing on her.

“What is it?” Key asked. Leslie buried her nose in her tail. Key looked helplessly up at her Pokémon.

“I have no idea,” Topaz said, looking confused. “What is she upset about, if not Shikoba?”

“Leslie, dear,” Manami said at length. “Are you okay to fight tomorrow? Because if you’re not—” Leslie surfaced enough to shake her head firmly before burying her nose in her tail again. “Well, okay then…”

Key hugged Leslie tighter. “I wish we could go out and ask Saylee,” Key sighed. “I’m sure Zac could tell us what’s wrong.”

“We can’t talk to her until we either lose or beat the Champ, though,” Thomas said, waving his hand at the screen, where the challenger after Jenny had just lost and was heading back for the lift. “Which one’s it gonna be?”

Leslie looked up and stuck her nose in the air. “That’s right,” Key said, scratching Leslie’s ears. “We’re going to _win_.”


	51. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 11
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 32   
> Deaths: 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SAYLEE  
> Skye the Altaria, Nadia the Camerupt
> 
> GUEST STARRING IN SAYLEE’S TEAM  
> Tobias the Togekiss (from After Armageddon and Blood and Bond), Mary the Ampharos (from Blood and Bond), Eric the Espeon (Red’s Espeon), Perun the Pikachu (Red’s Pikachu)
> 
> KEY  
> Thomas the Grovyle, Leslie the Linoone, Python the Mightyena, Manami the Azumarill, Topaz the Flygon
> 
> SEKA  
> Edge the Zangoose, Talyn the Mightyena, Ardenol the Weavile

“Pursuit!”

Edge intercepted and knocked down the Banette with ease. Phoebe replaced it with her second Banette.

“Thunderbolt!” Phoebe ordered. The Zangoose couldn’t avoid it in time to not be fried, but he was still standing afterwards, if unsteadily.

“If he can outlast that Banette, Seka’ll finally be at an advantage!” Bacent said excitedly. Seka was pale-faced but standing firm against whatever she was seeing in the mist, and Edge’s Pursuit had already taken down Phoebe’s first two Pokémon.

“I don’t think Edge is going to make it,” Saylee said, shaking her head. Edge was obviously paralyzed, moving too slowly to hit the Banette again before it zapped him with another Thunderbolt and took him down. Seka released Ardenol.

“Feint Attack!” Seka yelled. Ardenol almost seemed to teleport behind the Banette, striking it down to finish what Edge started.

“Her Weavile’s good, but I don’t know how good it’ll be against that Sableye,” Saylee said with a wince as the dark ghost was released. The Sableye had been the losing point of the previous competitor, and according to Norman it was the Pokémon that took out the majority of Phoebe’s opponents.

“Ice Beam!”

“Double Team!”

Sableye narrowly dodged Ardenol’s Ice Beam and split into dozens of Sableye, surrounding the Weavile. Sableye’s Shadow Ball wasn’t too powerful against him, but it didn’t need to be when he couldn’t discern which was the real attack among the dozen copies and dodge it in time.

“Feint Attack, Ardenol!” Seka shouted. Ardenol jinked around the many Sableye, attacking one after another, but he only succeeded in destroying images. When he finally struck the real one, it managed to stay up long enough to bean Ardenol in the face with a Shadow Ball at point-blank range.

“Damn,” Rob said, shaking his head as Seka returned Ardenol. “Ardenol didn’t even last as long as Edge. That leaves her with one Pokémon.”

“To Phoebe’s two,” Saylee pointed out. “And isn’t her last one a Mightyena?”

“Talyn, yeah,” Bacent said. “He might have an advantage because he’s a dark-type, but that Sableye—”

“Just being a Mightyena might be enough,” Rob said as Seka released Talyn. “After what Key’s Mightyena did…”

When Talyn appeared, the Sableye flinched, stepping back. Seka was not above taking advantage of his moment of fear. “Crunch!” she ordered. Talyn knocked the flinching Sableye to the ground and sank his fangs into it until it stopped shrieking. Phoebe returned her Sableye and replaced it with her second Dusclops. “Rock Slide!”

“Crunch again!” Seka ordered as the Dusclops hesitated for a split second. Talyn took it down with a snarl.

“Halfway through the Elite Four with three Pokémon,” Saylee said, clapping. “Has that happened before?”

“Well, it’s not _common_ , but some people do take on the League with less than six,” Rob said, “and there are a few trainers out there who solo—they only ever train one Pokémon. But they don’t normally get past Phoebe.”

“Yeah, but just because they’re past her doesn’t mean it’s smooth sailing,” Ledah pointed out. “They’re not even halfway through yet…”

{}

Saylee wandered down the hall the next morning, a sleepy Ari hanging onto one hand and her pokégear pressed to her ear with the other. _Blue’s not picking up_ , she thought with a frown. _Did that jerk leave his pokégear at home again? I_ told _him that I bought the stupid thing for him to carry around…_

“ _Hello?”_

“Tob?” Saylee said in surprise, recognizing the reedy voice of her Tangela, a mild, friendly little creature that she’d caught when she was fifteen. He wasn’t usually around the gym, normally being hired by builders to perform odd jobs with his seemingly endless supply of prehensile tentacles. “Why do you have Blue’s pokégear?”

“ _I came back from a job, and it was buzzing away on the kitchen counter,_ ” Tob replied. “ _I’ll let him know that you called when he gets back—why, where is he?_ ” There was the muffled sound of another Pokémon speaking in the background. “ _Really? Cool. It’s up there. Oh, right, sure, no problem._ ” There was a good deal of slithering and thumping.

“Tob?” Saylee said. “What’s going on? What’s that noise?”

“ _Ryan just told me that Blue went away a couple of days ago to get a ship to go meet you,_ ” Tob said. “ _He was trying to get the jar of cookies out the cupboard, and his hands are too big._ ”

“Ryan is a Rhyperior,” Saylee pointed out. “He doesn’t eat cookies.”

“ _No, but Tiffany loves them,_ ” Tob chuckled, “ _and anyone who brings her cookies_.”

“Oh,” Saylee said in surprise. Tiffany was her Ursaring and quite powerful when she wasn’t letting her mischievous streak get the best of her. “How long has that been going on?”

“ _Oh, Ryan’s had a crush on her for a while, but he’s very stonefaced about it,_ ” Tob said in all seriousness. “ _Not surprised that you didn’t notice. You weren’t back home for long_.”

“I’ll be back for longer soon,” Saylee promised. “When Blue and I deal with whoever was behind that business in Lavender, we’ll be back. I’ll find Blue sooner or later, I’m sure. I’ll see you soon!”

“ _Bring back some tasty plants!_ ” Tob replied. “ _How do you turn this thing off_?”

Saylee smiled and hung up the phone. Ari peered hootishly up at her.

“Your boyfriend?” Yori asked. Saylee nodded. Ari made a disgusted face. “I’ll have to try and find him after the League is done in a couple of days,” Saylee said, squeezing Ari’s hand. “Or less, I guess, if nobody gets to the Champion… who is it today? Glacia, right? Do you know what she does?”

“Ice Pokémon,” Yori said. Ari let go of Saylee’s hand and ran off down the hall, miming figure skating. “There’s only three people. According to Norman, they might go straight on to the fourth Elite if the battles go through quickly. So maybe you’ll be able to go look for your boyfriend soon. It must be a pain, having to go look for him because he forgot his phone…”

“I don’t really mind it,” Saylee said, shrugging. “I end up looking for people a lot. I’m used to it.”

{}

Key nervously squeezed Leslie’s pokéball in her hand like a stress ball as the elevator descended. Leslie had managed to silently insist on fighting against Glacia, but as Python had angrily pointed out, she was definitely down. Key had let her and her other Pokémon sleep outside of their pokéballs, and on the foot of Key’s bed the Linoone had tossed and turned fretfully all night.

 _I can switch her out at any time,_ Key reminded herself. _If Leslie’s off her game, switch her out for… I don’t want to risk Thomas. He’s weak to ice. Python, maybe, or Manami…_

She steeled herself as the elevator doors opened, letting her out into Glacia’s famous glacier arena.

The Sootopolis Gym, what Key’d seen of it, had a sheet of ice over freezing water, making a flat arena that could turn into a water arena at any time. Glacia’s arena, though it was indoors, was hewn out of a glacier, and it wasn’t flat. It was such a landscape of icy peaks, slopes and tunnels that the elevator didn’t open up onto the arena floor. It let Key out onto a raised walkway that gave her a vantage over the arena. Glacia was on a matching one on the far side, leaning over the railing with a little smile. She was a beautiful woman, about the age of Key’s mother, with carefully waved platinum blonde hair and a posh purple dress that fell to mid-calf, just short enough that she could be seen to be wearing a practical pair of matching purple trousers underneath. She also had a short sword in a sheath on her belt, although nobody had ever seen it drawn or knew if it was real.

The announcer called out Key’s name, declaring her the first of three challengers for the day. Key looked around and spotted her parents, Saylee, the orphanage kids and, a few rows behind, Ledah and Bacent. They all waved to her, cheering and shouting her name.

“None of your Pokémon have a grudge against ice-types, do they?” Glacia called, rippling her fingers at Key across the arena. “That Mightyena of yours has quite a temper.”

“He’s not up first today,” Key said, tossing Leslie’s pokéball. “We’re ready for you.”

“Good,” Glacia said with a smile. “I’ve travelled from afar to Hoenn so that I may hone my icy skills. It would please me no end if I could go all out against you! Salinity!”

She released a fat blue Sealeo, who slid with deceptive speed around the battlefield until she found a perch on a small outcrop.

“Leslie!” Key shouted, releasing her Linoone. Leslie slipped nervously around for a couple of seconds before figuring out her footing. Unfortunately, Glacia was not above taking advantage of those couple of seconds.

“Body Slam!” Glacia called. Salinity slipped off of her perch, using the power of gravity to increase the power of her attack as she slid down the iceberg and hit Leslie with her full bulk. Leslie went skittering away across the ice, digging her claws in to bring herself to a halt.

“Thunderbolt!” Key shouted. Leslie shot a crackling arc of electricity at Salinity, who bellowed in pain as it hit.

“Ice Ball!” Glacia ordered. Salinity cracked a rough sphere of ice out of the glacier and flung it at Leslie, but the Linoone had found her footing and easily dodged it before hitting Salinity with another Thunderbolt that took her out.

“Very good,” Glacia said, returning Salinity. “That’s a very versatile Linoone you have there. But can she handle Shalyn?”

The Pokémon she released next was a webbed sphere of silver ice, with black horns protruding from gaps on top of its head and round blue eyes glaring out at her. It was a Glalie, an ice-type so rare that Key had only ever seen it used by Glacia. It was also a pure ice-type, making Leslie’s Thunderbolt not effective enough.

“Leslie won’t be the only handling her,” Key said, returning Leslie and releasing her Azumarill. “Manami! Brick Break!”

Manami lunged towards Shalyn as soon as she appeared, small fists upraised. Shalyn barely dodged her attack.

“Light Screen!” Glacia ordered. Shalyn cast a shimmering, iridescent shield in front of herself, but Manami’s attack broke through it.

“There’s no shielding against a Brick Break!” Key laughed as the Glalie smashed into the ice. “One more, Manami!”

“Ice Beam, Shalyn!” Glacia called. The icy attack hit Manami dead-on, but the water-type barely felt it and hit Shalyn again, knocking her out.

“Well fought, Shalyn,” Glacia sighed, returning her and releasing her next Pokémon. “Shalonda! Hail!”

Manami winced as another Sealeo appeared, summoning churning grey clouds that began pouring fist-sized balls of ice onto the battlefield.

“Manami, return!” Key called, replacing her with Leslie again. “Leslie, Thunderbolt!”

Leslie winced as the hail struck her, but still managed to hit Shalonda dead-on with a bolt of electricity. The presence of the stormclouds enhanced its power, taking her down with a single blow.

Glacia sighed, returning Shalonda. “Sagara!” she called, releasing another Glalie. “Ice Beam!”

“Leslie!” Key shouted, returning her just in time to avoid the attack and switching back to Manami. “Manami, Brick Break!”

“This again?” Glacia said with a scowl. “Shadow Ball, Sagara!”

Sagara went spinning across the ice as Manami struck her, eventually vanishing into one of the ice tunnels. A few seconds later, a black orb came shooting out of the tunnel, blasting Manami back into an ice pillar hard enough to crack it.

“Manami! Are you okay?” Key called.

“I’m alright!” Manami said, waving. She looked bruised, but was still standing steady.

“Then Brick Break your way to that Glalie!” Key shouted. Manami began smashing her fists into the ice, vanishing into the new tunnel as she did so.

A few more Shadow Balls came shooting out of the tunnels. Then, after a few seconds of stillness, Sagara came flying out, rolling across the ice until she hit an outcrop and it became clear that she was unconscious.

Manami climbed out of a tunnel, panting with exhaustion but victorious.

“Well done, Manami!” Key cheered. “Have a rest.” She returned Manami, praying that Gracia’s last Pokémon this year wasn’t another full ice-type.

“You did well, Sagara,” Glacia sighed, returning her Glalie and releasing her last Pokémon. “Very well… It’s down to you, Sherilyn.”

Her last Pokémon looked like Salinity and Shalonda, but larger, fatter and with long yellow tusks. Sherilyn was a Walrein, and clearly Glacia’s strongest Pokémon.

“You can do this, Leslie!” Key shouted, releasing her Linoone. “Thunderbolt!”

“Body Slam!” Glacia ordered. Sherilyn powered through Leslie’s attack and slammed into her, smashing her into a cracked crater of ice.

“Leslie!” Key shouted. Leslie leapt out of the crater, scrambling away from Sherilyn and narrowly dodging a second strike. On the ice, with hail still raining down, Sherilyn was deceptively fast for her size.

“Sheer Cold!” Glacia ordered. Sherilyn summoned up a wall of icy wind.

 _If that hits Leslie…!_ “Use Surf, Leslie!” she shouted. Ice boiled around Leslie’s feet as she transformed it into a wall of water that hit the icy wind head-on, creating a fresh wall of ice between the two Pokémon.

“Sherilyn, Ice Beam that Linoone the second she appears over the wall!” Glacia ordered. Leslie paced back and forth behind the wall of ice, looking nervously up at Key.

“Use Thunderbolt, Leslie!” Key shouted, pointing up. Leslie smiled as she shot a Thunderbolt upwards, into the hail clouds, causing them to crackle with electricity and begin discharging random bolts of lightning. Leslie had to dodge a couple of bolts herself, but she and Key both grinned victoriously as there was a pained wail from the other side of the wall as one hit Sherilyn.

Glacia sighed again and returned Sherilyn. “You and your Pokémon…” she said with a little smile. “How hot your spirits burn! The all-consuming heat overwhelms. It’s no surprise that my icy skills failed to harm you.”

Key returned Leslie, hugging her ball happily and bowing politely to Glacia as the crowd cheered wildly. She turned and waved to her parents and friends, who were all standing as they clapped and cheered for her.

“One more Elite,” she whispered to herself as she turned towards the lift. _One more and I might actually get to fight_ Wallace _…!_

The lift doors opened and Seka stepped out. “Success?” she said.

“Success,” Key said, high-fiving Seka on her way out. “Good luck.”

“I don’t need it,” Seka promised her. “I’ve got my Pokémon.”


	52. Chapter 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 11
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 32   
> Deaths: 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SAYLEE  
> Skye the Altaria, Nadia the Camerupt
> 
> GUEST STARRING IN SAYLEE’S TEAM  
> Tobias the Togekiss (from After Armageddon and Blood and Bond), Mary the Ampharos (from Blood and Bond), Eric the Espeon (Red’s Espeon), Perun the Pikachu (Red’s Pikachu)
> 
> KEY  
> Thomas the Grovyle, Leslie the Linoone, Python the Mightyena, Manami the Azumarill, Topaz the Flygon
> 
> SEKA  
> Edge the Zangoose, Talyn the Mightyena, Ardenol the Weavile

“Mr. Weaves! Mr. Norman Weaves!”

“All of you go on ahead and find your seats,” Norman said, patting the more nervous-looking children on the shoulder as several reporters and cameramen began to converge on them. “Rob, Sceada, make sure everybody gets in alright, will you?”

“Sure,” Sceada said, taking Ari’s hand as he and Rob ushered the kids away.

“I’m going too,” Saylee said, backing away. “I don’t like being on TV…”

The reporters, for the moment, hadn’t noticed her. “Mr Weaves,” one of them said, pushing his microphone at Norman. “The only two challengers to have made it to Drake this year are your biological daughter and a girl you’ve fostered. Are you proud?”

“Extremely,” Norman said with a smile. “Everyone who made it this far has beaten me, of course, but I’ve trained with them as well. They’ve both come a long way, and I’m very proud that they’ve made it this far—but not surprised!” He didn’t look away from the reporter that he was talking to or stop smiling brightly, but he did snap out an arm to block the path of a reporter trying to slip past, nearly knocking the man over. Saylee couldn’t help laughing at the sight before it was blocked off by security guards at the doors.

“So how come you don’t like appearing on TV?” Sceada asked Saylee as they joined the queue to get into the spectator stands. “I mean, you’re pretty famous. If you’re the head ranger, don’t you have to talk to the media a lot?”

“I do,” Saylee said, carefully edging past people who were already seated as she headed for their assigned seats. “Although there isn’t a really huge media network in Kanto like there is anywhere else. I can usually request no cameras at press conferences about big cases. I prefer being known by reputation than by face. When I’m tracking people, I don’t want them to recognize me or see me coming. Somehow, people always expect someone taller.” Sceada laughed, then ran off to break up a fight between two of the younger children over seating arrangements.

The battlefield below them was the first one since Sidney’s to be easily visible. There was no mist, no ice, just the occasional boulder peppering the field. The crowd started cheering as Drake strode out into the stadium. He was an old man, probably of an age with Saylee’s grandfather, and like Arthur Pryce he stood proud and tall, unbent by age. His open coat and conspicuous lack of shirt showed that he was also unwithered, unlike his tattered old clothes and naval cap. From the angle of the seats, Saylee couldn’t see his face under the cap, only the tips of his fairly sizable white moustache poking out from under it.

“It’s Key first, then Seka, right?” Rob said.

“I think Manami has a pretty good chance,” Saylee said thoughtfully, “and probably Ardenol too, since Drake uses dragons… what’ll be really tough is if he has a Kingdra…”

“He’s used one in past years called Hadrian,” Rob said. Saylee bit her lip. “He’s pretty tough, but he’s been beaten before with the right dragon attack.”

“Yeah… I’m worrying over nothing,” Saylee said. “The Hoenn League is a sporting tournament, after all. No fatalities.”

“Do I wanna know?” Rob said, giving her a sidelong look.

Saylee fidgeted with her dragon brooch. “The Ancient and Venerable Dragon Clan of Blackthorn like to do things the old-fashioned way,” she said. They couldn’t keep talking after that because they had to join the crowd in cheering wildly for Key as she walked into the stadium.

“I am the last of the Pokémon League Elite Four, Drake the Dragon Master!” Drake roared over the crowd, boosted by a microphone to be heard over the cheering.

“And I’m Key Weaves, your first challenger today,” Key replied. The crowd cheered just as wildly for her as for Drake, though there was a pool of extra-loud screaming from the Petalburg group.

“In their natural state, Pokémon are wild, living things,” Drake said. “They are free. At times, they hinder us. At times, they help us. For us to battle with Pokémon as partners, do you know what it takes? Do you know what is needed?”

“My Pokémon and I think I do,” Key said, holding out her first pokéball, rousing more cheering.

“I hope you do,” Drake laughed. “Because if you don’t, then you will never prevail over me!”

He released his first Pokémon. Saylee pulled her pokédex out of her pocket, managing to draw a bead on the round white-and-grey Pokémon before it started charging as Key released Manami. It was a Shelgon, a sturdy, powerful little fledgling dragon. It barrelled into Manami, spinning to hit her in a powerful but self-damaging Double-Edge that sent Manami sprawling.

The Azumarill was too sturdy to be taken down that easily, though. Under Key’s direction, she fired off Ice Beam after Ice Beam at the Shelgon. It was able to cast Protect to shield itself, but it didn’t always work, and it only had to miss once for Manami to take the dragon out.

Drake returned his Shelgon and replaced it with an Altaria. Saylee touched Skye’s pokéball. _Key’s trained against Skye before… she knows what an Altaria can do._

Sure enough, Manami dodged blast after blast of Dragonbreath, only ever taking glancing blows that did negligible damage. Frustrated, Drake commanded his Altaria to use Dragon Dance, which would likely have made the Altaria unstoppably powerful if Key and Manami hadn’t taken that opportunity to hit it with an Ice Beam, predicting the path of his seemingly random, wavering dance to hit him dead on. The Altaria went crashing to the ground in an unmoving pile of fluffy feathers.

Drake returned it without a word and replaced it with the Kingdra that Rob had warned Saylee about.

The first thing Hadrian did was produce a smokescreen that blocked Manami’s vision and prevented her from finding him before he could finish a ritual Dragon Dance, pumping up his power levels before he came through the smoke, hitting Manami with a Body Slam.

“Manami, return!” Key shouted, prompted some surprised murmuring from the crowd, as Manami was still standing despite the power of the Body Slam. Key replaced her with Topaz.

“She’s going for Dragonbreath,” Saylee muttered. “Which should work out, but that Kingdra has to be packing either an ice or a water attack…”

Topaz successfully hit Hadrian with a Dragonbreath through the smoke, which put him down but not out. He reared up, using Surf to blast a powerful wave of water at Topaz. The crowd gasped as Topaz vanished under the water.

“Oh, no…” Jenny said with a wince.

“Actually, I think… there she is!” Saylee shouted excitedly as Topaz surfaced and hit Hadrian with a second Dragonbreath. It didn’t knock it out, but when Drake ordered him to use Surf again, he couldn’t manage it, instead shuddering frantically.

“He’s paralyzed! Finish him!” Key shouted. Topaz did so with a third and final hit of Dragonbreath that knocked Hadrian out. Drake finally returned him, switching to a Flygon of his own.

“Dragonbreath!” both Key and Drake yelled at the same moment. Both Flygon blasted breaths of blue fire at each other. It quickly became apparent that Topaz was actually stronger than Drake’s Flygon, but she was also already weakened by being hit by Surf, and both of them fell from the sky at the same moment, their wings giving out. Both managed to pull themselves to their feet, but they were too weak to fly and could barely produce fire.

“I think we should call this one a draw,” Key called, to a mixture of cheering, jeering and nervous laughter from the audience.

“Aye, they’re both about to keel over,” Drake sighed, raising his Flygon’s pokéball and returning him as Key returned Topaz. “Shall we finish it?”

“Let’s,” Key said, releasing Manami. Drake replaced his Flygon with a large, blue-and-red dragon.

“Salamence, huh?” Saylee muttered, reading her pokédex screen. “Oh, damn… they’re right up there with Dragonite in terms of power.”

“Yeah, but Manami has Ice Beam,” Rob pointed out as Manami proceeded to do just that, striking the Salamence down as it spread its wings and attempted to take to the air. It responded by charging towards Manami, surprisingly fast, and executing a powerful Crunch on her. The entire stadium winced as there was a _crack_ from Manami.

“Manami!” Key cried. “Are you okay?!”

The Salamence was blasted backwards by a point-blank Ice Beam that froze it into a solid chunk of ice.

“I’ll be… fine,” Manami panted, slumping over and clutching her side but nevertheless still standing while her opponent was trapped. “Don’t worry about me, dear.”

The stadium erupted into wild cheering as Drake returned his Salamence and Key returned Manami, hugging her pokéball and jumping up and down on the spot excitedly. The whole Petalburg group stood up and started screaming, “KEY! KEY! KEY!”

“She’s going to fight Wallace! Oh my gods, she’s going to fight Wallace!” Mila was screaming. “Oh my GODS!”

“Did Norman and Kate see that? Tell me they got back in here in time!” Sceada yelled.

“They’re stuck by the gate!” Rob shouted, pointing back to the entry door to the seats, where Norman was holding up his wife as she sat on his shoulders as she waved and blew kisses at their daughter. Key waved at them before having to head back to the lift, high-fiving Seka on the way as she came out to face Drake. Unlike previous battles, there wasn’t much shift in the audience when the challengers changed, so Norman and Kate still couldn’t get through to their seats, but they seemed to be able to see fine from where they were, cheering Seka on as enthusiastically as they had Key.

{}

“There we go,” the nurse said, applying some more salve to Manami’s side. “There might be a few scars left from the bite mark, but a battle scar’s nothing to be ashamed of, eh? Just apply a thin layer of this once an hour for the next six hours and she’ll be just fine,” he continued, handing the jar over to Key. “It’s lucky it’s not as bad as it looks. After all, you have a Champion battle this afternoon, don’t you?”

“Will Manami be alright?” Key asked with concern. “I mean, will she be okay to battle? Or should I leave her here?”

“Hmmm… I know that going up against the Champion with less than a full team is daunting, but… well, you decide for yourself if you feel up for it, okay?” he said to Manami. “One way or another, unless Miss Petalburg really drags out her fight, your battle with Wallace isn’t scheduled to start until two. You may find yourself feeling much better by then.”

“I can leave you in your pokéball if you’re still sore, Manami,” Key promised.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Manami assured her. “I’ll let you know before we go, okay?”

“By the way, do you know if Jenny’s okay?” Key asked the nurse. “Jenny Hawkshaw? I thought she won her battle against Phoebe, but I didn’t see anything about her fighting Glacia…”

“She dropped out for family reasons, but I’m afraid I don’t know more than that,” the nurse said, heading back over to the door and swiping his card to get out. “Don’t forget to pack up your possessions before you go. One way or another, after you battle the Champion, you won’t be staying in this room anymore. Good luck!” He gave them a wave and left the room.

“Thank you!” Key called after him. “You were fantastic, Manami. Take it easy this afternoon, okay?”

“Isn’t that Wallace guy a water trainer, anyway?” Thomas pointed out. “I mean, I’m not saying that I’ll beat him with one hand… actually, I am. I’m going to kick his _ass_.”

“You and Leslie both,” Key said, stroking Leslie’s ears. “Are you up for it, Leslie?” Leslie nodded, licking Key’s hand.

“Damn, that looks like it hurts,” Python commented. Key turned her attention back to Seka’s battle. Ardenol had iced his way through Shelgon and Altaria, but Drake had thrown in his Flygon before his Kingdra, and its Earthquake was utterly brutalizing the tired-looking Weavile.

“I don’t think Edge or Talyn will be able to handle that if Ardenol goes down,” Key said with a frown, wincing as Ardenol collapsed. “…yyyyyyyyep. Ow.”

Seka immediately replaced Ardenol with Edge and surprised the entire audience by ordering him to pull an Ice Punch. “When did he learn to do that?” Topaz gasped. “He didn’t do that when I was sparring with him!”

“I guess Seka thought it would be a good idea to teach him something new after you kicked his ass, Topaz,” Key giggled, watching Edge go leaping from rock to rock as he tried to make contact with the Flygon. Once the Zangoose managed to land a blow, he was able to Ice Punch it to unconsciousness. Drake replaced his Flygon with his Kingdra, Hadrian, repeating the same Smokescreen-and-Dragon Dance strategy that hadn’t managed to stop Manami.

“That Ice Punch is scary, but if Edge goes down, Talyn won’t be able to do a damn thing against those dragons,” Python growled.

“Yeah, Topaz kicks your ass all the time,” Thomas pointed out.

“Like you’ve ever beaten her,” Python snapped back.

“I don’t need to. I can just beat _you_ ,” Thomas threatened.

“Settle down, you two,” Manami ordered. “We don’t want to call the nurse again before our Championship battle, do we?”

“Yeah, settle down and watch Edge punch smoke,” Topaz said, flicking her tail at the TV, which had switched to infrared imaging to show Edge punching blindly through the smokescreen while Hadrian danced up his power. “You know, if he dances any longer—there he goes…”

Hadrian shot back and forth, randomly Body Slamming through the mist until he hit Edge, sending the Zangoose flying. Edge hit an outcropping of rock and fell to its base, where he pushed himself to his feet. The camera switched back to regular view, showing that he was now outside of the smoke. He waited, fists raised.

“Oh, that’s a good idea!” Manami said happily. “He just has to wait for Hadrian to come out or the smoke to dissipate, then—”

“If he’s fast enough,” Topaz said, buzzing her wings briefly. “Dancing doesn’t just make you stronger. It makes you much, much faster as well.”

“I really wonder how people managed to train their Pokémon effectively before we could understand you,” Key commented, scratching Leslie’s ears. “Well... I like to think that I understand you, too, Les, even if I can’t hear you speak to me.” Leslie licked her hand encouragingly. “It is easier when you can speak, though.”

“My Mama often said that humans make a lot more sense once you can understand what they’re saying,” Topaz commented. “Although you’re still pretty weird. Look, there he goes!”

There had only been a blue blur to be seen, but a slow-motion replay suggested that Edge had attempted to punch Hadrian as the Kingdra emerged from the smoke, but hadn’t been quite fast enough to hit him in time. Edge went down and didn’t get back up.

“Oh, damn,” Key said with a wince. “Hey, what’s she doing?”

Seka had returned Edge, but she wasn’t releasing Talyn. She seemed to be holding his pokéball, but was staring intently at it rather than releasing him. The camera zoomed in on her until it showed the sad scowl on her face.

Finally, to the shock of the audience, she pocketed Talyn’s pokéball and shook her head, stepping back. The umpire asked if she was forfeiting, and she nodded.

“Oh, Seka,” Key gasped. “That’s gotta _hurt_ …”

“Yeah, but you have to respect a girl who knows when to quit,” Python commented. “No point in sending out Talyn just for him to get smacked around by that overpowered bit of seaweed.”

“Which makes _us_ the only challengers for the title of Champion,” Thomas said, leaping to his feet and stretching. “I can already _taste_ how much water ass I’m gonna kick.”

“How much time do you spend tasting ass?” Python asked, ducking as Thomas kicked at him on his way past.

“We’ve got a few hours to train,” Key said, hopping to her feet. “Manami, you rest up. Everyone else, let’s go!”


	53. Chapter 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 11
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 32   
> Deaths: 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SAYLEE  
> Skye the Altaria, Nadia the Camerupt
> 
> GUEST STARRING  
> Tobias the Togekiss (from After Armageddon and Blood and Bond), Mary the Ampharos (from Blood and Bond), Eric the Espeon (Red’s Espeon), Perun the Pikachu (Red’s Pikachu)
> 
> KEY  
> Thomas the Grovyle, Leslie the Linoone, Python the Mightyena, Manami the Azumarill, Topaz the Flygon

Unlike the Elites, the Champion battlefield wasn’t within the main tower of Evergrande City. It was an outdoor arena that was somewhat larger than the standard sized battlefield, allowing it to feature an extremely large pond, several trees and boulders, and an iceberg. The Petalburg group had gone to get their seats an hour before the scheduled start time for the battle, but even so, the stadium was already mostly full by the time they arrived. It seated three times the number of people that the Elite stadiums did, because _everybody_ came to watch a Champion battle. People who had only come to watch a friend or relative’s challenge still turned up to watch the Champion fight. People who had only come to watch a specific favourite Elite’s battles turned up to watch the Champion fight. People who had failed in their own challenge turned up to watch the Champion fight. The travel centre was swarmed with people travelling in to buy the last-minute same-day tickets to see the Champion battle.

“It doesn’t happen every year, but it’s always a fantastic show,” Kate explained as the Petalburg herd pushed through the crowd together to find a place to sit. Finding twenty seats together was a bit of a chore, but synchronized wobbling lips from the younger children managed to convince enough people to move for the lot of them to sit in a clump over three rows.

“Look! There’s Norman!” Mila called, pointing across the stadium to the VIP box, where all four Elites and nine Leaders were specially seated. Tate’s leg seemed to have healed, and he, like almost everyone else in the box, was clustered around Juan, apparently deep in discussion.

“I’m going down to the standing area,” Rob called over the hubbub of the crowd. “I’d like to let my Pokémon watch, and they’re too big to be out in the stands.”

“Oooh, good idea,” Seka said, getting up to follow him. “What about you?” she asked Saylee. “Don’t your Pokémon want to see?”

“I’m sure they do, but…” Saylee shook her head. “If Key notices us and notices that Sanborn, Oberon, Manami and Zac are missing… especially Zac… What if Leslie notices? They don’t need that in the middle of their Champion battle.”

“…fair enough,” Seka said with a nod before heading off with Rob. Saylee shifted a couple of seats over so she was sitting next to Kate Weaves.

“I can’t wait to tell Key how proud of her I am,” Kate said happily. “Whether she wins or loses, I’m so, so proud of her.”

“Glad you let her go now?” Saylee asked with a grin.

Kate smiled. “Ever since Raphael died, I didn’t think she’d be ready to have Pokémon again,” she admitted. “I didn’t really know that she _wanted_ to have Pokémon again. She kept wanting to go to Petalburg on her own, but she hadn’t asked for a Pokémon, so I had no idea that she wanted one… Maybe I just didn’t want her to have any more so she wouldn’t have to deal with that kind of pain again. Overprotective, I know, I know, but… I am glad that she had someone as experienced as you with her, though. Thank you for taking care of her. Thank you for helping her get this far.”

“I probably dragged her into more trouble than I protected her from,” Saylee confessed uncomfortably. “I might have put her in a lot of danger, fighting against Aqua and Magma…”

Kate sighed. “I know,” she said. “But you protected her. I don’t imagine she took that much dragging, anyway. After all, dealing with dangerous criminals is part of a gym leader’s job too, as the strongest trainer around… Norman’s gone to fight the criminals that nobody else could before. Whenever we worry about him, he tells us that it’s a chance worth taking for the sake of the people who wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Yeah… she’s not a kid,” Saylee agreed. “She knew what she was getting into and did it anyway. I’ve almost never fought with anyone I trust more. She didn’t need my help to get this far.”

“You made sure that she got Thomas,” Kate insisted. “She wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t done that. I know things could’ve gone…” she shook her head. “But both of you are alright, and Key’s about to get her shot at a Champion battle. That’s what I’m thanking you for.”

“Well… you’re welcome, then,” Saylee said, glancing back at the gym leaders. “What do you think that’s about?”

“I’m sure Norman will tell us later,” Kate said with a shrug. “Maybe they’re wondering where Steven Stone is? As undefeated former Champion, he always gets a seat there, but he doesn’t seem to have turned up…”

“Undefeated?” Saylee asked.

Kate nodded. “Oh, yes,” she said. “He was Champion for five years and never lost _once_. There were some close calls, but… it’s quite a winning streak. Even Wallace didn’t actually beat him, he just beat everyone else once Steven stepped down voluntarily.”

Saylee didn’t get a chance to ask _why_ Steven had stepped down, because at that moment, the speakers blared to life and the MC introduced “The beautiful master of water, the Champion of Hoenn’s Pokémon League… _LORD WALLACE IRVING_!”

The surface of the lake that made up most of the battlefield split apart as a gigantic blue-and-white Wailord burst out. Standing on its head was Wallace, who flicked out his somehow still dry cape as he bowed to the audience, turning around in a full circle to wave and bow to the entire cheering audience. People screamed and waved, several of them screaming declarations of love.

“You’d never believe how shy he was as a little kid,” Kate shouted to Saylee over the cheering, making her laugh.

“And now, the one, the only, the challenger… KEYANU WEAVES!” the MC shouted. A trapdoor opened up in a boulder on the far edge of the battlefield from Wallace. Topaz flew out of it and circled to hover above, Key standing on top of her Flygon’s back with a dramatic hair flick that made the colourful pin in her hair catch the light and briefly flash colour across the stadium. She accepted the audience’s cheering with a graceful bow as Topaz descended to let her trainer down onto the designated challengers’ podium.

“Before we begin,” Wallace called, a mic somewhere on his collar bouncing his voice around the stadium, “I would like to specially thank Miss Weaves and her partner, Sar Saylee of Kanto, for all their hard work at the time of that terrible incident in Sootopolis City. We may not have been able to put that crisis to an end without their superb work!”

The cheering was even louder and more frenzied. Saylee sunk down in her seat, grateful that no attempt to make her stand up or highlight her seemed forthcoming.

“Don’t just thank us,” Key replied, having also been fitted with a mic. “We couldn’t have done it without our Pokémon.” She gave Topaz an affectionate stroke on the head.

The crowd cheered again. Saylee felt the sick pit in her stomach open up again as she remembered how many of the Pokémon that fought at her side that day were no longer with her.

“We trainers raise Pokémon by giving them items and by teaching them new techniques for battle,” Wallace replied. “But we ourselves also learn many things from Pokémon. And this is where your achievements are put to the test against what others like you have achieved. Now! Who can most elegantly dance with their Pokémon in Hoenn? Show me right here and now!”

With that, he stepped off of his Wailord’s head and onto another boulder across the battlefield from Key. His Wailord, evidently his first Pokémon, swam forwards, blowing a huge blast of water out of his spout.

“Ready to fight?” the tremendous Pokémon rumbled.

“Leslie is!” Key called, returning Topaz and releasing her Linoone, who landed on top of the Wailord’s head.

“Rain Dance, Wayne!” Wallace ordered. Wayne began to croon as he rose even further out of the water, spraying water out of his spout and into the air.

“Thunderbolt, Leslie!” Key shouted. Leslie didn’t even have to aim; lightning shot from her feet and throughout Wayne’s entire body. He shuddered and wailed before finally keeling over sideways. Above the battlefield, though, rainclouds formed, pouring rain onto the battlefield.

“Good job, Wayne,” Wallace said, returning his Wailord. Leslie went splashing into the water. “I figured you’d lead with that. But now it’s Teivel’s turn!”

The next Pokémon that he released was a Tentacruel, a malicious, poisonous Pokémon with dozens of long tentacles. It reached out with one, plucking Leslie out of the water.

“Leslie, return!” Key responded immediately. “Manami! Ice Beam!”

As soon as Manami materialized, she started firing freezing blasts at Teivel. The Tentacruel leapt in and out of the water, tentacles appearing and disappearing as it dodged the ice. The rain pouring down seemed to energize both Pokémon, making them evenly matched.

“Sludge Bomb, Teivel!” Wallace commanded. Manami was bowled over by a thick hunk of cloying purple sludge and vanished into the water. Rather than sinking, the gunk spread across the surface of the water, making a thick layer of pollution that Manami would have to pass through to surface.

 _Where is she…?_ Saylee thought, leaning forward, her heart in her throat. _Manami’s a water-type… she can breathe underwater. She can stay down there forever. So what will they do…?_

Both Key and Wallace seemed to be waiting. The sludge continued to thicken over the water, but for several minutes, nothing else moved. Then Teivel jerked, effecting a full-body shudder before beginning to flail wildly.

“Cold!” he yelled. “It’s so—she’s freezing me underwater!”

“What?” Wallace yelled, leaning forwards. Teivel continued to thrash, but his tentacles began to appear stuck underwater as the ice expanded. Then the purple sludge paled and froze as the ice rose to the surface and spread to create a solid, frozen layer. “Oh, well played,” he said, “but is freezing Teivel solid all that you intend to do?”

“Nope,” Key replied. “The next part of the plan is escape—any second now…”

After a few seconds more, the ice on the opposite side of the pool from Teivel began to shudder, then cracked, purple chunks of frozen sludge flying into the air as Manami smashed through with Brick Break. “Did she use Rest as well, under there?” Wallace commented, noting how Manami seemed reenergized and entirely unharmed by being hit by Sludge Bomb. “You certainly planned this well.”

“Mom and Dad keep recordings of your gym battles,” Key replied. “I got a pretty good idea of the kind of Pokémon you might choose to use and planned for all of them. After all, you’ve probably been watching my League battles for the past few days, so it’s only fair, right?”

Wallace smiled. “Planning ahead is good,” he agreed, looking down at Teivel. “Teivel, how much can you move?”

“I can’t,” Teivel groused.

“But you can still fire off a Sludge Bomb, can’t you?” Wallace asked.

Teivel spat another blast of purple gunk at Manami, who narrowly dodged it. “Don’t have a great range of fire, but yep,” he confirmed.

“Freeze him completely solid, Manami!” Key ordered. Manami slid off across the ice, moving too quickly for Teivel to hit her, firing off beam after beam of ice at the completely stationary Tentacruel until he was frozen completely solid.

“Well planned,” Wallace agreed, returning Teivel. “But I’ve been planning too. Giga Drain, Landford!”

“No!” Key cried as a Ludicolo appeared, sliding across the ice with a grace unexpected of a Pokémon of his bulk. Before she could return Manami, Landford swept her up and began to drain her energy. Manami cried out as Landford sucked out her power, only dropping her to the ice when she fell unconscious.

“I honestly wouldn’t expect a Pokémon that looks like that to be a graceful dancer,” Saylee commented, watching Landford skate off across the ice, apparently going into a dance routine while Key returned Manami and selected her next Pokémon.

“Well, Ludicolo _are_ famous for their dancing, even if ‘energetic’ is normally a better word than ‘graceful’,” Kate chuckled. “But Wallace has always favoured beauty and grace. When he was little, he was always enthralled by Pokémon Contests. He still competes sometimes, I believe. I don’t think he’d have become interested in battling at all if he hadn’t been adopted by Juan, but look at him now!”

“Definitely seems to have worked out for him,” Saylee agreed. Wallace was watching his Ludicolo dance with a happy smile on his face. He looked up curiously as Key released Thomas.

“Bringing an underevolved Pokémon to the League? You are brave,” he commented.

“If you got a problem with my evolution,” Thomas snapped, “you can take it, tie it up neat with a fancy little bow, and shove it right up your—”

“Shut up and use Aerial Ace, Thomas,” Key interrupted.

Landford was deceptively quick and graceful, but he wasn’t quicker than Thomas. The Grovyle smacked Landford to the ice and was away again before Landford could grab him and attempt to drain him.

“Use Double Team, Landford!” Wallace commanded. Landford immediately split into a dozen identical, swiftly-moving Ludicolo.

“I’m not using a piddling Quick Attack here!” Thomas scoffed. “They don’t call it Aerial _Ace_ for nothing!” Ignoring the copies, he swept across the ice and slashed into Landford again, finally knocking him unconscious and causing him to slump entirely ungracefully to the ice.

“Oh dear,” Wallace mused, returning Landford. “Well, that worked out for a while. I suppose if I wish to defeat you, Thomas, my best chance is my beloved Mael!”

There was a collective gasp from the audience as Mael appeared. Saylee had seen the Milotic in Sootopolis, but even so, his beauty was stunning. Mael literally sparkled, the sun reflecting off of the gold-and-pink patterns on his tail like stained glass. The long, pale-blue fringes on his head glittered like ice but flowed like water. A single flick of his gorgeous tail smashed through the ice, revealing that it had been thinning and melting, likely since Manami fainted. He crooned happily as he luxuriated in the freshly-released water.

“Thomas can still take him down with Leaf Blade!” Key insisted. Thomas shot across the ice towards Mael, raising his arm as the leaves on it extended into a sword.

“Not if Mael hits him with Ice Beam first!” Wallace replied. Thomas was forced to dodge as a frozen beam shot towards him. He started rolling and sliding across the ice as he dodged the attacks, desperately trying to get near to Mael without getting hit.

“If that ice hits him once, he’s done for,” Saylee predicted grimly. “He’s powerful, but he is still underevolved…”

“He’s still quicker than Mael, though,” Kate pointed out. Slowly but surely, Thomas was growing closer to Mael. The ice started to crack under his feet as he drew closer to the hole that Mael had smashed.

“He’s too fast to get hit while he’s on his feet, but he’ll be open when he jumps…” Saylee muttered.

“Now, Thomas!” Key shouted. Thomas leapt from the ice and went swinging towards Mael, striking at him from behind. Mael turned his head and flung up his tail, narrowly managing to deflect the strike with his tail. The Milotic wailed in pain from the blow, but he still managed to avoid the worst of it, and Thomas had no way to dodge when he was hit with the Ice Beam at point-blank range.

“Thomas!” Key shouted, returning him before he hit the water. “Good strike,” she sighed. “I should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy to take you down, Mael.”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Mael offered, flicking his tail. “That _hurt_. I guess you’ll use your Linoone next, right?”

“No point in denying it,” Key agreed, releasing Leslie. Leslie shot off of the rapidly melting ice, instead opting to climb up one of the boulders around the pool. “Use Thunderbolt!”

“Hit her with Toxic!” Wallace ordered. Mael spat a spray of toxic black sludge at Leslie, who dodged, leaping off of the boulder just before it hit. The corrosive substance began eating into the rock. Leslie shot a Thunderbolt at Mael, who screamed as he was zapped. He managed to hold out just long enough to spray Toxic as Leslie, managing only to hit the base of another rocky outcrop before Leslie electrocuted him again, finally taking him down.

The crowd cheered wildly as Mael, Wallace’s ace, was returned. Leslie did a happy little binky, before looking up at the crowd. It felt to Saylee that the Linoone was looking directly at her. _She can’t possibly see me from that distance, though, can she_? Saylee thought, clapping as hard as she could.

“They’re cheering as if you’ve already won,” Wallace laughed.

“Well, I’ve taken out your ace and three others, and I still have four Pokémon left,” Key replied. “I’m feeling pretty good about the last one.”

“Gael is no Mael, despite the assonance,” Wallace chuckled, “but I wouldn’t underestimate him!” He released his last Pokémon, a towering Gyarados.

“Wow,” Saylee muttered. While she had no frame of reference for Mael, as the only Milotic she’d ever seen, she could easily tell that Gael was much stronger than Miranda or Gabriel had been. _Still, no Gyarados stands up well to electricity…_

“Thunderbolt again, Leslie!” Key ordered.

“Use Earthquake, Gael!” Wallace demanded.

Gael roared as he thrashed, causing the ground under the entire stadium to shake. The audience screamed and clutched at their seats. Leslie was sent rolling across the ground as it struck at her, only managing to stop rolling and steady herself to attack Gael when she hit a boulder. He stopped thrashing when the lightning struck, going rigid and wailing, but the aftershocks continued to rumble around the stadium.

“Please stay calm, everyone,” Wallace ordered. “The structural integrity of this stadium is assured, so please—”

“LESLIE, MOVE!” Saylee screamed, standing up. All eyes had gone to Wallace’s at his announcement, even Leslie and Key’s. Neither of them had noticed that the boulder that Leslie had hit was one that had earlier been struck by Mael’s Toxic. The corrosive substance had burned through the boulder, and then the earthquake had cracked the weakened rock.

All of this must have passed through Saylee’s head in less than a second; the moment when the rock fell seemed to happen in slow motion. Leslie turned to look, Key reached for her Linoone’s pokéball…

With a _CRACK_ , the broken boulder came crashing down.


	54. Chapter 53

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 11
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 31   
> Deaths: 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Key  
> RIP Leslie the Linoone, level 4-61
> 
> SAYLEE  
> Skye the Altaria, Nadia the Camerupt
> 
> GUEST STARRING  
> Tobias the Togekiss (from After Armageddon and Blood and Bond), Mary the Ampharos (from Blood and Bond), Eric the Espeon (Red’s Espeon), Perun the Pikachu (Red’s Pikachu)
> 
> KEY  
> Thomas the Grovyle, Python the Mightyena, Manami the Azumarill, Topaz the Flygon

Somehow, Key heard Saylee’s scream over the sound of thousands of spectators panicking. She felt the colour drain from her face and a chill settle under her skin as she looked down at where Leslie stood, turning her head to look just as the boulder came crashing down towards her.

“LESLIE!” Key screamed, grabbing for her Linoone’s pokéball. Her fingers seemed clumsy, her movements too slow. The red beam of light shot towards Leslie, but not before the boulder landed.

“ _LESLIE!”_ Key shrieked again, climbing out of her safe zone and running across the shuddering battlefield. Across the field, Wallace returned Gael and then also leapt to the ground, white cape flying. He started running around the edge of the lake towards Key.

Key tripped as the ground continued to tremble, stumbling against the boulder. She dropped to her knees next to it, shoving it as hard as she could, trying to push it away from Leslie.

There was a flash of light above her, and Tobias appeared. The boulder glowed pink as he lifted it away from Leslie. “LESLIE!” Key screamed repeatedly, trying to pull the limp mass of fur and blood into her arms. “LESLIE! _LESLIE!_ ”

“Key, _move_!” Wallace shouted, pulling Key to her feet and dragging both her and Leslie away as chunks of the boulder continued to crack away. “I’ve got her!” he shouted upwards, dragging Key towards the boulder that she’d been standing atop of. An emergency exit had opened in the side of the stone. Key followed Wallace’s line of sight dizzily and spotted Winona and Brawly physically restraining her father from jumping out of the leaders’ box and onto the battlefield. She thought she could hear her mother and Saylee yelling over the screaming of the crowd and the PA announcements to evacuate the stadium, but all noise started to merge into a loud, incomprehensible buzz as she stared down at Leslie.

Warm blood was pouring over Key’s arms, soaking into her shirt and shorts and dribbling down her legs. She could feel things _crack_ and _crunch_ and move unnaturally. At the angle that Leslie’s head drooped at, Key could only see one of her eyes. There was nothing there.

“Leslie,” she sobbed. “Leslie—n-no… _no_ …”

“Key,” Wallace said, pulling her into the lift inside. As soon as he let go of her, Key sank to her knees, clutching Leslie’s body as sobs wracked her. “Oh, gods… your Linoone…”

Key just cried harder. Wallace kneeled next to her, wrapping his arms around her. Key buried her face in his shoulder as she cried and cried and cried.

“Key, I… I’m so sorry…” he mumbled, rubbing her back. “Gods, you have no idea how sorry I am…”

The elevator stopped, and the doors reopened. Several EMTs with a gurney and a pair of guards came running up to them. The EMTs lifted Leslie onto the gurney, trying to attach her to the life-support systems. Nothing was responding.

“What’s happening, sir?” one of the guards asked Wallace.

“The match is over,” Wallace said firmly, standing up and helping Key to her feet as she continued to cling to him and cry “I’m fine. I’m going to stay with Key in the nearest meditation room until her parents arrive. Only allow Norman and Kate Weaves in… oh, and Sar Saylee Pryce, as well. The match is over. Gael was defeated. Keyanu Weaves is the new Pokémon League Champion. Announce it, but forgo the formal celebrations for now.”

“Time of death: five seventeen PM,” the doctor muttered, putting a hand on Key’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, my lady. It’s too late.”

“Do we have your permission to go prepare her for transportation to Mt Pyre?” one of the nurses asked. Key nodded, not looking up at them.

“Come on,” Wallace said gently, leading her down the hallway.

“Juan,” Key mumbled.

“Excuse me?” Wallace said in surprise.

“If Juan comes… I-I need to… to speak to him too,” she croaked weakly.

“Yes… of course,” Wallace said, nodding to the guards who escorted them.

{}

A nurse specifically sought out Saylee and Kate to lead them to the quiet room where Key was curled up on a bench, sobbing softly, her clothes covered with drying blood that filled the air with a warm, unpleasant scent. Wallace was sitting by her side, one hand on her shoulder, staring vacantly at the mural along one wall depicting a peaceful scene of ocean Pokémon.

“Oh, Key,” Kate said, sitting next to Key and putting her arms around her, pulling her daughter’s head onto her shoulder. Key clutched at her mother and cried.

“It wasn’t supposed to… not here,” she sobbed. “Not at the League, not like this, not here…”

Saylee grabbed Wallace’s arm and dragged him away from Key and Kate. “How the hell did this happen, Wallace?” she whispered.

“I’m waiting to hear back on who was checking up on the structural integrity of the field,” Wallace muttered. “Those boulders are meant to be reinforced so that they _don’t_ break down like that, not into huge chunks. They’re meant to disintegrate, to… Key’s right, this kind of thing is not supposed to happen.” He sighed, tucking a loose strand of teal hair back under his hat. “Not that it doesn’t, but… dammit. It’s been nearly ten years since there was last a death at the League, and even longer since there was one in a Champion battle. It doesn’t matter how much I apologize, it doesn’t feel like it makes a difference…”

“It makes a difference,” Saylee reassured him softly. “But nothing… nothing stops the loss from hurting.”

Wallace nodded hopelessly. “I’m… going to go see if they’ve found Norman and Juan yet,” he said, stepping out of the room. “The leaders will probably be together. There’ll have to be a formal inquiry…” He closed the door gently behind himself.

Saylee walked over to sit next to Key. “I’m so sorry, Key,” she said, squeezing her friend’s shoulder.

Key looked up at her, pulling her glasses off to wipe at her eyes even as tears continued to flow. “L-Lee…” she hiccupped. “How… how do I tell Zac? I can’t tell him… how do I tell him that his sister’s d… d…”

“You don’t, Key,” Saylee said softly. “I’m sorry, Key… I didn’t want to tell you before your challenge, but…”

“But… oh no,” Key choked out, her eyes flickering down to Saylee’s sling and then back up to her grim expression. “Zac—?!”

“There was a major incident,” Saylee said quickly, wanting to get it out before she started crying, her eyes already welling up. “Zac… Molly… Sanborn… Oberon… they’re gone.”

After a moment of staring at her in horror, Key flung her arms around Saylee and started sobbing loudly.

Saylee shifted to protect her right arm and hugged Key back, sniffing and gasping for breath as tears ran down her cheeks. “I wasn’t going to tell you until later,” she whispered. “I didn’t want to… to spoil things… I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t want to _spoil_ —oh gods,” Key sobbed, squeezing Saylee tighter. “How do you do it? You—I saw you smiling and cheering for me like nothing was wrong—how? I could… I could never…”

“Practice,” Saylee said softly. “If you never get that much practice… that’s fine. I didn’t want to throw off you, or Leslie, after all you’ve worked for… you guys pulled through after Shikoba’s death, I couldn’t just pile it on you…”

Key just wailed louder, squeezing Saylee so tightly that she thought she could suffocate.

“She told us, Key,” Kate said gently. “It wasn’t as if she was dealing with it alone, and by the time she got here...”

“Blue was there for me,” Saylee assured Key. “And I’m past grieving. We’re going looking for them, the people responsible. They were also responsible for Professor Hawkshaw’s death, and that’s probably not all. We think they might be affiliated with a corporation in Sinnoh. Blue’s coming in soon and then I’m taking the first ferry out to Sinnoh to look for them.”

“I…” Key gasped, unable to get whatever she was trying to say out because she was crying so hard. Saylee rubbed her back, waiting out her friend’s tears. “I… I’m… coming… with you,” Key choked out eventually.

“You don’t have to, Key,” Saylee said immediately. “I’ve gotten you into too much danger as it is with Magma and Aqua. These people who killed my Pokémon and Professor Hawkshaw… they’re not idiots like Magma and Aqua are. Those two nearly destroyed the country by _accident,_ but these people have killed people on purpose, and that means they’ll kill again. You should stay here.”

“Shut up,” Key sniffed. “Whoever they are, they killed your Pokémon and Jenny’s mom, and I can’t _not_ help stop them. I’m sorry, Mom,” she added, turning to her mother. “I want to help…”

Kate wrapped her arms around her daughter. “I know, honey,” she said softly. “But, Key… you just lost Leslie, and look at you. I don’t want you to keep getting hurt like this. Please… don’t go.”

Saylee looked up as the door opened quietly and Norman, Juan and Wallace peered inside. Saylee stood up and went to stand by Juan and Wallace, allowing Norman to sit next to Key and Kate, reaching out to his crying daughter.

“How is she?” Juan asked quietly.

“She’ll recover eventually,” Saylee replied softly. “She knows that she can. Right now…” She shook her head.

“And you?” he asked. “Norman told me that you have suffered some loss yourself recently.”

“I’m dealing,” Saylee said, clenching her fist. “I’ll deal with it a lot better once I get to Sinnoh and find the bastards responsible.”

“Sinnoh?” Juan asked. “Why Sinnoh?”

“The group responsible for the death of my Pokémon, and almost certainly Professor Hawkshaw’s death, are all employees of the Galactic Energy Corporation in Sinnoh,” Saylee explained, “or at least dressing like them. The company denies any knowledge of their actions, and there’s no proof that the company was involved, but nevertheless, I find it a little… suspicious. In any case, they’re all from Sinnoh, so it’s definitely the first place to look.”

“Well,” Wallace said quietly. “That’s very interesting. Weren’t you seen boarding a ferry to Sinnoh, Juan?”

“Yes, I have heard that rumour,” Juan affirmed, “but seeing as I’m here, I assumed it was just some silly gossip.”

“Or somebody easily mistaken for you,” Wallace said, pulling a Pokénav out of his pocket and holding it up. “This is Key’s. She voluntarily gave it up for a call trace, for a call from notorious criminal Archibald Irving, placed near the Lilycove docks.” Juan looked about as startled as Saylee felt. “Neither of you could possibly tell me what that was about, could you? She won’t.”

He _called_ her? _Oh, that’s all I need…_ Saylee thought with a sigh. “It means that the second you tell her that, there’s no _way_ I’ll be able to stop her from coming to Sinnoh with me,” she muttered.

“H-hey… isn’t that my pokénav?” Key croaked. Saylee looked around to see that Key had spotted Wallace and Juan and was, somewhat wobbily, getting to her feet. Wallace nodded, walking over and handing it to her.

“I’m sorry I kept it so long,” he said. “If you are ready, it is my honour to inform you that you are now a Champion of Hoenn, and the only one aside from Steven Stone to be ranked higher than I. You have the right to remain at and preside over the League, if you so choose.”

“Thanks, but no,” Key sniffed, clutching her pokénav. “It’s a great honour, but… no. I wouldn’t have a clue what I’m doing.”

“That’s what the two-year apprenticeship period is for,” Wallace commented. “It’s always open to you if you want to take it up at a later date.”

“We’re so proud of you, Key,” Norman said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “You could do anything you want from here. Even if you don’t want to be the Champion, you could still be an Elite or Leader, or anything else at all.”

“I don’t know,” Key confessed. “I dreamed of being the Champion—I mean, who doesn’t? But I dunno… after all that stuff with Aqua and Magma, it feels like I could be doing more.”

“Well, speaking of Aqua and Magma,” Juan commented, “my ferry pass and some of my clothes were stolen a few days ago, and it seems that _I_ was seen boarding a ferry to Sinnoh, which clearly has not happened.”

Key’s eyes widened. “Archie,” she said. “He’s gone to Sinnoh?” She looked at Saylee. “Isn’t that where you’re going?”

“Key,” Saylee protested. “You don’t have to go. You don’t have to put yourself in more danger.”

“Lee,” Key repeated in the exact same tone and intonation, if a slightly hoarser voice, “I _want_ to go. I am the _Champion_ of _Hoenn_. It is _official_ that my Pokémon and I are stronger than everybody in the country—except Steven—and that means that if _anybody’s_ powerful enough to handle it, it’s me and my Pokémon.” She smiled slightly. “Besides, I’m not going after these Galactic people. If I happen to run into them and happen to beat the shit out of them on behalf of your Pokémon, that’s a complete accident. I am going to capture a major criminal whose actions threatened all of Hoenn, which _totally_ makes him my responsibility to chase down. Right?”

“Well, I must admit that I still have to contribute to some of the rebuilding and repairs here in Hoenn, and only the gods know where Steven has gotten to,” Wallace said, unclipping his miraculously spotless white cape and holding it out to Key, “so you are certainly the most qualified person to track him down.”

“I get a _cape_?” Key said, growing animated again as she took the cape and clipped it around her neck. “I feel like a superhero. Master Key, tracking down criminals across the globe! What do you think?” She turned to her parents, brandishing her cape.

“I think that I don’t want you to go,” Norman admitted, “but you’re an adult now, and officially stronger than me, so I have no right to stop you.” He bowed politely to Key with a grin. “Lady Key.”

Kate gave her daughter another hug. “You can come home any time, okay?” she said. “And if you ever need anything, anything at all, call us. And if you’re going to Sinnoh, you need warm clothes, because it gets _cold_ up there, especially with winter coming. And you need to come say goodbye to everyone before you go. And we have to give your Leslie a proper funeral…”

“If you’re ready to say goodbye, she’s been prepared to send to Mt Pyre,” Wallace said, holding the door open. Key clutched her cape, nodded, and, squaring her shoulders, marched out of the room.

“I imagine our paths will go much the same way when we get to Sinnoh,” Saylee mused. “I’ll look out for her as much as I can.”

“Thank you,” Norman said quietly. “I don’t want to ask—she _is_ the Champion, after all—but, well, she’s our daughter.”

“When you’re a parent, your kids are never safe enough,” Kate added in. “You look after yourself too, alright? If anything happened to either of you…”

“We survived Groudon and Kyogre’s battle in Sootopolis,” Saylee said wryly. “I doubt we’re going to run into anything worse than _that_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all of you who’ve been commenting for weeks on how you’re not looking forward to Saylee telling Leslie that Zac’s dead: well, I’ve got some good news for y’all, and then again I’ve got some bad news… 
> 
> Also, four for you, Republic of Ireland, for deciding to stop toeing the Catholic line en masse and becoming the first country in the world to legalize gay marriage by popular vote! You go, Republic of Ireland!


	55. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saylee   
> Pokémon: 16   
> Deaths: 11
> 
> Key   
> Pokémon: 31   
> Deaths: 4

On Mt Pyre, while cremation was an option, most Pokémon were buried. As Key was a Champion of Hoenn, Leslie was afforded a space of honour near the peak of the mountain. Key, Saylee and their living Pokémon were in attendance along with Wallace, Juan, the elderly gravekeepers and Phoebe. The Vulpix and Ninetales of the mountain were also present, somehow warding away the mist.

Zac’s name was carved onto the headstone next to his sister. Oberon, Molly and Sanborn all had headstones as well; Saylee had explained that all four of her Pokémon had been cremated and buried in Lavender Town, but Key had insisted on holding a second funeral for them on Mt Pyre, one that their friends could attend.

Python was staring at the ground, ears and tail drooping, allowing Manami to sob heavily into his fur. Topaz was sitting next to Thomas, who was starting at the graves, a thunderous expression on his face. Nadia and Skye, who’d already had some time to grieve, were leaning against each other nearby, listening to the prayers that Tobias and Mary whispered together. Perun and Eric hung back somewhat awkwardly, avoiding the grief-stricken group.

“Feels rotten to win like this,” Key muttered, wrapping her arms around herself and listening as Phoebe recited the last rites over the graves. “Feels like it wasn’t _for_ anything.”

“Champion of Hoenn is not an empty title, Key,” Wallace said gently. “Rangers and police in Sinnoh will all have to answer to you, and the gym leaders as well. Helpful when tracking down a fugitive, no?”

“And you both have a free ride to Sinnoh on the next ferry out,” Juan added, reading a message on his Pokénav. “Royal suite, too, since it’s the only one that wasn’t booked. Two catches: it leaves first thing tomorrow morning…”

“That okay?” Saylee asked, glancing at Key.

Key nodded. “I’d like to get moving,” she mumbled. “Seems better than sitting around…”

Saylee put her good arm around Key, giving her a hug. “What’s the other catch?” she asked Juan.

“It’s a passenger liner for non-trainers,” he confessed. “That means that they don’t allow Pokémon trained to fight onboard, not even in pokéballs. You’ll have to have them transported over when you get to Sinnoh.”

“We can leave them all with Dad and ask him to send them over later,” Key suggested. “Are you guys… okay with that?” she asked, looking around her Pokémon.

“Key, honey, we will be right there are soon as you need us,” Manami sniffed, reaching out to clutch her trainer’s hand. “Let us help catch the people who did this…” She waved her other paw to take in the grave. “Well, not Leslie, but…”

“If Leslie were alive, she’d want revenge,” Topaz said firmly. “For Zac and Sanborn… and for Oberon and Molly too, of course. We all do.”

“We all wanna run straight into getting ourselves killed too, you mean?” Thomas snapped.

“Thomas!” Manami gasped.

“He’s right,” Python muttered. “I’m as pissed off as anybody that—” he glanced up at the headstones, then looked back down. “But what the hell good does it do, though? We go after these Aqua assholes to avenge Winnie, and William dies. We try to avenge Polly, and Teddy gets dead. We don’t even do a damn thing, and Wanda, and Leslie, and—!”

“Is it about revenge?” Juan asked quietly. “That does no good to the living and even less to the dead.”

“See, he thinks it’s pointless too,” Python said.

Juan shook his head. “I didn’t say that it’s pointless,” he corrected. “I said that if you went after Aqua and Magma solely for revenge, _then_ it was pointless.” He looked at Saylee and Key. “ _Is_ that all this is about? Revenge?”

“No, I mean… revenge sounds nice,” Key said, shaking her head, “but the people who killed Lee’s Pokémon… you said that they’re killers, right? They’ve killed a lot and they’re going to keep killing unless somebody stops them. Of course, I’m going in search of a fugitive from justice who must face the due process of law for his crimes,” she added quickly.

“It’s not about revenge for the dead,” Saylee agreed. “It’s to keep more from dying.”

“By getting more of us killed?” Thomas snapped. “Ain’t _that_ a contradiction in terms…”

“I’m not going to get you— _any_ of you—into anything you don’t want to be in,” Saylee said, looking around her Pokémon. “If you’ve had enough, that’s okay. You don’t have to follow me to Sinnoh. I won’t hold anything against you for it. I’ll go, no matter what, even if I have to go alone, because these killers need to be stopped.”

“Like hell yer gaun alone,” Mary snorted. “They bastarts need a short, sharp shock, I’m thinkin’.”

“Of course we’ll come help you,” Tobias agreed, nuzzling his head against his mate’s. “We agree completely that we need to stop these people.”

“We just want to make sure you don’t get hurt,” Eric said, glancing from Perun to Saylee. “…insofar as that’s possible.”

“They were kinda dumb,” Nadia commented. “I figure if we face them somewhere without evil ghosts, shouldn’t be too hard.”

Skye nodded tiredly. “I ain’t scared a’ criminals like them, darlin’,” she said softly, “but it ain’t just criminals out there, is it? I gotta take a coupla days ta think… I ain’t sure I can commit ta goin’ into a fight when I ain’t sure what I’m facin’, y’know?”

“I can’t promise to predict what we’re facing,” Saylee said, stroking Skye’s downy back. “I can _hope_ that it’s nothing on the scale of Groudon and Kyogre, but you know the kind of things they’ve been looking into. You _did_ help face Groudon and Kyogre, Skye, so I personally don’t think there’s much that you can’t handle, but take all the time you need, okay?” Skye nodded again, closing her eyes and leaning against Saylee’s hand.

“Well, _I’m_ going to help Key,” Topaz said firmly. “Her responsibilities as Champion are _our_ responsibilities. We’re officially the most badass Pokémon in the region now, right?”

“Absolutely correct,” Wallace said, bowing to her.

“You… I’m with Lee; none of you have to come if you don’t want to,” Key said, fidgeting with her Beautifly hairpin. “Just… please think about it, okay? It’ll be a few days until the ship gets there and I’m able to call Dad to send you over, so… if you decided you’ve had enough, you don’t have to. Thank you so much for… for everything you’ve done so far.” Saylee hugged her again as she started to cry. “Thank you…”

Thomas didn’t look up, but he did reach up to squeeze Key’s hand.

{}

“Oh dear,” Steven laughed as he checked his caller ID before picking up his ringing Pokénav. “Calamity Calls.”

“ _I’ll forgo sarcastic laughter this time because, for once, you might not be wrong._ ”

“For once?” Steven gasped theatrically.

“ _Shut up and be serious for ten seconds, Steven. It’s Galactic Corp._ ”

“They _are_ behind the attacks in Lavender and the Ruins of Alph, then,” Steven sighed.

“ _Of course they are, but there’s no way to prove it. The only thing putting them at Alph are the fuzzy thoughts of a dying Girafarig, and the faces aren’t clear enough for a positive ID. They’re claiming plausible deniability over Lavender. Mr Denzi was sent to visit the Power Plant, no idea why he was in Lavender, shocked and saddened, etc. Everything I find to investigate, they seem to already be prepared for… I’m putting all the pressure on them that I can, but none of them are cracking. To all appearances, none of the other executives know a thing about it, or the missing rangers._ ”

“And, of course, the problem with being Champion is that, what with them having been completely cleared by a full legal investigation, you can’t go storming into their buildings to get some legal evidence without turning from a Champion to a Tyrant,” Steven observed.

“ _Yeah, I can see why you quit. It’s tempting, but unlike you, I try to be responsible._ ”

“My dear Cynthia, are you trying to passive-aggressively influence me to do your dirty work for you?” Steven quipped.

“ _I can go for flat-out aggressive if you prefer_ ,” Cynthia snapped. “ _They’re up to something bad, but my hands are tied._ ”

“Kinky,” Steven commented.

“ _Steven, we’ve known each other for a long time, so I know that you know that I can and will kill you._ ”

“I’m just trying to get you to lighten up,” Steven protested. “There’s been more than enough doom and gloom to deal with here. I’m still dealing with it. What about your League? What about Riley?”

“ _I’m sure that they have somebody in my League, but I can’t figure out_ who _, and until I do… as for Riley, you know what he’s like. He doesn’t want to draw attention in case they find out about the crystal. They haven’t yet._ ”

“True,” Steven sighed. “Well, until I get there… have you heard of Team Rocket?”

“ _Funnily enough, I don’t live under a rock._ ”

“The two people responsible for breaking into _their_ buildings are on their way to Sinnoh right now,” Steven said, “and they have personal grudges against Galactic. The latest Hoenn Champion’s with them too, and she might be young but she didn’t back down from Aqua or Magma.”

 _“You sent them?_ ”

“No, but they’re on their way.”

“ _Well… it’s not like they’re the only crime-busting kids from countries with laughable legal systems wandering around my country,”_ Cynthia sighed. “ _You know someone’s really broken your system when you have to rely on vigilantes to get any justice done, but… fine. Steven… whatever you’re planning…_ ”

“Who says I’m planning anything?” Steven objected.

“ _You’re always planning something._ ”

Steven couldn’t deny it. “What about it?” he said.

 _“I hope it works,_ ” Cynthia said and hung up.

“Me too,” Steven sighed, pocketing his ‘nav. “Me too…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies and gentlemen, this has been Calamity Calls. Please leave the theatre in an orderly fashion and deposit all rubbish in the proper receptacle on the way out. Souvenir mugs and programs can be purchased in the lobby. Please do not mob the actors at the stage entrance on their way out. 
> 
> Thank you all very, very much for reading and reviewing. This year’s been a pretty trying one, being my senior year at Uni, and this nuzlocke has been an extra level of challenge, balancing two main characters and two main teams. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride. Stick around, because Saylee and Key are just getting started—Dimensional Destruction, a Platinum nuzlocke, starts August 31st, 2015—which, as it happens, is the fourth anniversary of this series! Perfect time for the fourth fic, no? And this is a big one, where what was begun with the creation of Mewtwo comes to a head… There’ll be a few omakes and other short pieces over the summer, never fear :) If you aren’t already, please check out the Random Oneshots of Random collection, where most of the extra oneshots and omakes will be posted. 
> 
> Extra doubleplusgood super-speccial-awesome thanks to my inestimable beta, Jack Falconer, who after two and a half years of betaing for me, is bowing out. His beta work has tremendously improved my writing abilities and I can’t be grateful enough :)
> 
> Once again, thank you all so much for enjoying this story, and I hope we can continue to entertain and emotionally scar you in the future <3


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